LAUREN Moran and Jillian Howarth share a painful bond, both having lost their dads to heart attacks.

On August 30 the pair will have something else in common when they cross the finish line of The Sunday Mail Suncorp Bridge to Brisbane fun run, in which they’ll honour their late fathers.

Both Lauren and Jillian aim to raise $1000 in the fun run, with funds going to the Heart Foundation this year.

Jillian, 26, said finding out the fun run would help raise funds for the Heart Foundation’s work gave her a reason to train even harder and take on the 10km leg.

Her father, Ian, died in October after suffering a heart attack while on a bike ride.

The Middle Park resident said it came as a big shock to the family, as the 60-year-old had done everything right since finding out several weeks before his death he had a form of heart disease.

“He was really healthy and exercising every day. It was a freak thing,” Jillian said.

Lauren was 21 years old when her father suffered a fatal heart attack eight years ago.

The Coopers Plains resident will run in the race wearing a singlet declaring: “Doing it for my Dad”.

Lauren’s father was struck down by a heart attack three days after his 46th birthday.

“My father was not overweight, but he was a very heavy smoker,” she said.

“He was still reasonably fit for his age.

“I want to raise awareness about leading a healthy lifestyle and looking after your body because you only have one.”

She said she hoped that with further research and through prevention, others would be spared the grief of losing family members from heart attacks.

The Heart Foundation is a charity organisation that relies on donations to help prevent heart disease by raising awareness and funding research projects around the nation.

Cardiovascular disease, which covers heart stroke and blood vessel diseases, is the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 34 per cent of deaths in 2006.

Half of all heart attacks are fatal.

Lauren and Jillian have connected with online fund-raising site everydayhero.com.au to collect money.