Viv ThomasIt will certainly be a family affair at the weekend when the Smiths of Westfield, near Dereham, tackle the Great North Run. Wheelchair athlete Will, aged 13, is going for a hat-trick of wins in a one-mile event on the Saturday, having won in 2007 and 2008.Viv Thomas

It will certainly be a family affair at the weekend when the Smiths of Westfield, near Dereham, tackle the Great North Run.

Wheelchair athlete Will, aged 13, is going for a hat-trick of wins in a one-mile event on the Saturday, having won in 2007 and 2008.

His mum and dad, Mark and Lisa, are running the half-marathon on Sunday while Will's younger brother Matt, 11, is entered in the two-mile junior race on Saturday.

Mark said: 'Between us we should cover 30 miles. We are 'running' the 2009 Great North Run to raise money for Get Kids Going - a charity specialising in the supply of sports equipment to disabled children. They have been very supportive to Will.

'Lisa has done the race before, a couple of times about five, six years ago, but for me it's the first time. It's a step into the unknown,' he laughed. 'The last few months we have started to do a bit more training - but not enough!'

The wheelchair race will be the last major event of a highly successful season for Will who, along with Matt, is a pupil at Northgate High School.

Highlights have been many - he came second in his first London Mini Marathon (U17) in April, qualified for an 'A' Final in a senior international invitation event at Stoke Mandeville in June.

The following month he became the National Junior Champion (U15) at 400m and 800m, then competed in the Aviva Invitation event at Crystal Palace, setting new personal bests at 100m and 400m.

They have a web page if anyone wishes to sponsor them. It's at http://www.justgiving.com/msmith2009