Four University of Worcester students are set to run a half marathon for a missing persons charity.

PhD students Andrea Tapia, Eya Meddeb, Isobel Dawes, and Nathan Stephens are taking on the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday (October 6).

They have already raised £600 for the charity Missing People and are aiming to double their current total.

Read more: Worcester Warriors to 'express interest' in league place

Tapia, 40, Meddeb, 32, and Dawes, 31, have not previously been runners but have been training around their thesis writing.

Stephens, 30, is a regular runner and has completed ultra marathons, including an 87-mile run.

Dawes said: "Now we’re getting closer I do feel a bit terrified.

"I have never done anything like that, I’m not a sporty person.

"But it’s meant to be a really good atmosphere with entertainment and music, and I hope the crowd will help."

The students became friends during their PhD studies and often work together at the university.

Tapia is studying environmental science, specifically assessing bumblebee habitat quality.

Meddeb's research is focused on computer science, Stephens is doing a PhD in social care, focused on community support for those living with dementia, and Dawes' PhD is in education, looking at teachers’ relationships with their peers.

The idea for the half marathon came about through Meddeb’s desire to take on a running challenge while completing her PhD.

Missing People is the only UK charity dedicated to reconnecting missing people and their loved ones.

It offers support to people affected by a disappearance via a free helpline and can launch a publicity appeal to help bring missing people home, provide family support, counselling, and specialist services.

Dawes said: "On the [charity’s] website they have a list of people currently missing.

"It reports that someone goes missing in the UK every 90 seconds.

"They can offer vital support to families raising awareness of missing people because I can imagine resources are quite costly."

Meddeb added: "It does offer support for the families and I think that’s important.

"That’s hard to have someone missing, someone close to you who you are used to seeing every day.

"You don’t know, you keep looking."

To donate visit justgiving.com/team/researchers-running-for-missing-people-charity.