A DUDLEY Zoo employee is gearing up for his fifth half marathon to raise funds for the hospital where his son is being treated for cancer.

Construction supervisor Carlo Diponio is running the Lichfield Half Marathon on Sunday (May 3), in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where his nine-year-old son, Leonardo, is undergoing treatment for leukaemia.

Leonardo was diagnosed in August 2013 and as a thank you to hospital staff for their excellent care of his son, the determined dad vowed to do all he could to raise cash for the children’s cancer department.

The zoo’s hilly 40-acre site is proving a challenging training ground for Carlo who has already topped the £7,000 mark since starting his charity runs.

The 44-year-old from Willenhall, who is supervising repair work to the zoo’s modernist tecton buildings, said: “DZG have been very supportive of my efforts for the hospital and as well as making donations they have a collection box in the Safari Shop.

“My preparation has been going well and walking around the zoo site is a good way of top up the training.

“Last month I ran the Coventry Half Marathon in one hour 39 minutes, so that’s my time to beat.”

To support Carlo’s fundraising efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/carlospage.