The Revd Ben Norton, assistant curate at St Cuthbert’s, Marton in Cleveland, completed the challenging 26.2 mile route of this year’s Virgin London marathon raising £2,300 for The Children’s Society.

Ben’s fundraising efforts included running on a treadmill in Middlesbrough town centre in his full robes and asking supporters to make sponsorship pledges in exchange of adding a song to his marathon playlist. This included the likes of ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ and ‘I could walk 500 miles'.

Money raised by Ben will go towards the charity’s work with disadvantaged children living in poverty or at risk of being harmed.

Ben crossed the finish line in four hours 50 minutes. He said of his achievement, "Running this year’s marathon is a huge personal achievement and it helped to think about the cause I was running for on the route.

“Some parts were tough but knowing that I was helping such a worthy charity and the children who need help across the country pulled me through the hard miles.”

The Children’s Society’s Events Manager, Natalie Tarrant said, "We are truly grateful to all of the runners who raise money to support us during the London Marathon.

“Ben’s fantastic efforts are appreciated and we hope other people are inspired by them. All of the runners who completed the Virgin London Marathon for us will be helping children across the UK who are often the hardest hit in tough times.”

If you would like to run for The Children’s Society there are places available for other events like The BUPA 10k, the Great North Run as well as cycling events including the Ride London 100. www.childrenssociety.org.uk/events