Hundreds turn out for funeral of "courageous" Northampton man who fought MND to cross marathon finish lines

Dave Solomon, 65, passed away peacefully in his sleep in February.

Hundreds of friends and family turned out to celebrate the life of Dave Solomon at his funeral on Tuesday (March 6) after passed away peacefully in his sleep in February, aged 65.

He was an active jogger and with the Northampton Road Runners for 15 years and 30 marathons - until he was diagnosed with MND in 2015.

But Dave's wife, Paula Solomon, 46, said: "He never let the disease beat him. He thought if he could help even one person by talking about MNd and setting an example then he could make a difference."

Even after his diagnosis of MND, Dave continued to cross finish lines, pushed in his wheelchair by his running club.

With help from his running club, Dave crossed even more finish lines in his wheelchair, completing the Milton Keynes and Northampton half marathon even the 50-mile Cycle4Cynthia cycle ride in a specialised bike.

He became the face of a campaign for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and raised thousands of pounds for charity since his diagnosis.

Paula said: "He was just so courageous. He took on the disease and was always happy.

"I met him through the Road Runners. He never cared about his time, he always stayed at the back to make sure everyone was alright.

He raised thousands of pounds for charity.

"He didn't have a bad bone in his body. He was such a loving, kind and caring guy. He touched an awful lot of people."

In his earlier life, he played for a year as part of Norwich City Juniors Squad, and worked as a driving instructor for 15 years.

Mark Garrett, secretary for Northampton Road Runners, said: "It is with great sadness that we have lost such a loved and valued member. We hope that Dave's attitude of enjoying life to the maximum no matter how it treats you is something that is passed on."

As part of Dave's last wishes, his friends and family waved their arms in the air and sang "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" as they left the Counties Crematorium in Milton Malsor.