A KEEN runner from Kidderminster has completed a 26-day challenge to run a marathon in his back garden - and it was a lot harder than he anticipated.

Father-of-two Jon Fleming, 46, ran roughly 15,600 widths of his patio to raise money for Compton Care, where his sister-in-law Louise Pimm works as a palliative nurse.

The Wolverhampton-based charity has seen funds depleted due to the coronavirus pandemic, so Jon took on the marathon challenge in response to an appeal for supporters to take on fundraising challenges at home.

Jon, who works at Aston University, said: "I heard Compton was doing virtual events to raise money and I was due to do a 10k race in the Highlands in Scotland, which was cancelled, so I needed something to do anyway.

"At first I thought I'd run a mile a day for my daily exercise for 26 days, then the missus said why not make it interesting and run that mile in the garden instead.

"I thought it was a little bit bonkers but I'll give it a go!"

Jon initially set a target of raising £100 and started his mile-a-day challenge with support from his daughters, who made posters to decorate the garden fence, while his wife Vicki posted regular updates on social media.

On a particularly warm day, Jon's daughters put out the paddling pool for him to run through, and another day saw him dressed up as Batman.

Jon said: "I normally run three times a week, but one of the things I found particularly difficult with this challenge was all the turning.

"It's about 10 steps from one side of the garden to the other so it was similar to doing the Bleep Test at school - the twisting was quite tough on my knees, ankles and hips.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

"I've ran a marathon before and you can get a good stride going, but that was impossible in the garden. It was a lot tougher than I thought."

After 26 days, Jon completed the challenge on Saturday (May 9) and has raised more than £650 for Compton Care.

"I set the fundraising target low as I know a lot of friends and family are being furloughed at the moment, but the response has been amazing," said Jon.

The money raised so far will pay for 15 sets of PPE and help Compton to continue its care services in the community.

To donate, go to givepenny.com/jonfleming_virtual_challenge_2020.