AN ATHLETE with an incredibly rare disease will take on the Great Manchester Run next month in a bid to raise funds and awareness of his condition.

Mark Edwards, of Llanegryn, suffers from Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition that is congenital.

The condition means the body is unable to break down a substance called phenylalanine, which builds up in the blood and brain.

High levels of the substance can damage the brain and patients can develop severe learning difficulties if the condition is left unchecked.

Only one in 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with PKU, and maintaining the necessary low-protein diet can be a challenge, Mark said.

“I usually can’t go out to restaurants but if I had to I would usually order a vegetarian meal,” he said.

“But even then I still having to be careful as most veggie meals have cheese or nuts, which are high in protein."

The 32-year-old will take part in the Great Manchester Run 2016 on 22 May for NSPKU, a charity devoted to raising awareness and funding research into the condition.

If anyone would like to sponsor Mark go to www.justgiving.com/Mark-edwards12-12.