24 September

Paralympic T42 200m champion Richard Whitehead took on his toughest challenge to date when he embarked on an ambitious mission to run the length of Great Britain. He set off from John O’Groats on 13 August and ran to Land’s End by covering 40 marathons in 40 days with the aim of raising £1,000,000.

The 37 year old crossed the finish line at Land’s End yesterday to become the first Paralympian to cover the 977 miles and has so far raised over £125,000 for charities Sarcoma UK and Scope. More money also being raised by dozens of runners that have joined Richard for sections of his 40 marathons and from a Family Fun Run hosted in his home city of Nottingham.

Inspired by the dedication to his task, Richard has been joined by a number of stars from sport and entertainment, including Paralympic teammate Dan Greaves and Richie Neville from boyband Five.

Richard saw the gold medal he won in London as a stepping stone to this challenge and cited the story of Terry Fox, a sarcoma sufferer who attempted to run the breadth of Canada before his death at the age of 22, as his inspiration.

After running the final leg of his gruelling journey, Richard said:

"Today I completed my epic 40 marathons in 40 days challenge! It has been an absolutely epic journey, and something that will live with me forever.

"Despite the constant aches, pains and endless hills there was one thought thay kept me going. That thought was a determination to prove that anyone and everyone can live a life without limits. Once you have accepted this, you can push the barriers as far as they can go.

"I hope I have been able to leave that message with the people across Britain. I would like to say a huge thank you to my team for supporting me through both the highs and lows. Please remember to visit my Virgin Giving Page and donate!"

For more information and to donate to Richard please visit: www.richardwhiteheadrunsbritain.com