Albion chairman Tony Bloom will run his second Brighton Marathon in aid of a multiple sclerosis charity set up by his wife.

The Brighton and Hove Albion owner hopes to raise more than £100,000 and complete the marathon in three hours and 45 minutes in aid of Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis.

His wife, Australian-born Linda Bloom, was diagnosed with MS 12 years ago, but managed to bring it under control by focusing on diet, exercise, meditation yoga and self-hypnosis.

She has gone from being so incapacitated she could not hold up a book to building her strength back up and keeping the debilitating effects of MS at bay.

Although a relapse is possible, she is currently healthy and well.

Mrs Bloom set up the charity to raise awareness of the approach in England and it has gone from strength to strength.

Mr Bloom, who ran the inaugural Brighton Marathon in 2010, said: “For the first few months my wife was in such a bad way she could not get off the sofa and couldn’t even lift up a pen.

"She went on a retreat and she followed the overcoming MS method, which is an evidence-based diet and lifestyle approach to managing one’s MS and to help one have a much better quality of life.”

The charity aims to help people with MS and those who are newly diagnosed.

Mr Bloom said: “When you are hit with MS, you see a neurologist, get told how debilitating it is, that you’ve got to be on these drugs and everything else. The overcoming MS approach is to work alongside the medical treatment.

“What we want is for all people with MS to be given informed decisions about what all the possibilities are.

“My wife uses the overcoming MS approach and she doesn’t need any medication. Obviously this is not the same for everyone as everyone is at different levels but following the programme for her has been a godsend.”

Mr Bloom said training for the marathon on April 12 was going well, although he has had to cope with several different injuries.

He said: “I’ve been trying to put in the yards and miles without risking too much on the injury front.

“I’m balancing it up. I’m hopeful I’ll be there on the start line and get the 3.45 time and raise even more money for Overcoming MS.”

To support Mr Bloom, visit justgiving.com/Tony-Bloom1

To learn more about Linda’s charity, visit overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org

MS affects 100,000 in UK

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological condition which affects about 100,000 people in the UK.

Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can affect younger and older people too.

Roughly three times as many women have MS as men.

Physical symptoms of MS might commonly include vision problems, balance problems and dizziness, fatigue, bladder problems and stiffness and/or spasms.

MS can affect memory and thinking and also have an impact on emotions.