A group of 13 iron men and women will take part in an endurance challenge in memory of a toddler.

They will be taking part in a double iron man at the King Alfred Leisure Centre on Saturday to raise money in memory of Zachary Doyle, who died aged just 15 months.

Between them the group will swim 4.8 miles, cycle 224 miles and run 52.4 miles in about six hours.

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The iron men will end with mother Olivia Doyle joining the participants, including her husband Ben, for the final stretch as they walk to the spot on Hove beach where Zak’s ashes were scattered.

The event was born out of the tragedy of Zak’s death when his parents woke up on the morning of March 5 to find that he had died during the early hours of the morning, succumbing to an aggressive case of pneumonia.

Thirteen members of the same ante-natal class in Brighton decided they wanted to do something to honour Zak’s memory.

The energy-sapping event will raise money for the Lullaby Trust, which provides support for bereaved parents, and the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) charity.

Mrs Doyle, 38, from West Hove, said SUDC had offered great support to the family. She said: “The group has people who lost children 30 years ago and when we read these discussions it gives us hope that it won’t always feel so hard. We were in shock for a very long time, one minute he was there and the next he wasn’t.”

The event will begin at 7am after Freedom Leisure agreed to open early and provide lifeguards at the King Alfred and will end at a spot on Hove beach which the family call Zak’s beach.

Mrs Doyle, who is now expecting a little girl on January 2, said: “We feel that Zak is still very much part of the family.

“It’s lucky I live near to the sea and it’s great to pop out for five minutes and have a chat with him.

“From something so horrible, it was great to be told something so positive will happen just when we needed it.”

For more details on the fundraiser and the life of Zak Doyle visit www.facebook.com/inmemoryofzak.

To donate visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ZaksIronTeam/zaksironteam2013.