A man has completed a marathon for charity by doing 420 laps of his back garden with a wheelbarrow.
Dressed as Father Christmas, Barry Illing began the 26 mile (41km) challenge at his home in Poulton, Cirencester at 12:00 GMT on Tuesday and wrapped it up on Christmas Eve morning.
Mr Illing, 71, took on the challenge for Prospect Hospice and said it was “unfinished business” after raising £100 for the hospice in 1989, when he pushed his wheelbarrow from Wiltshire to Buckinghamshire.
“It was chilly, quite windy and the temperature did drop down a little but we were buzzing and got the job done,” Mr Illing said.
Speaking after the challenge, he said of how he felt: “A few aches, as you’d expect.
“Older bones ache more but we’re elated that it’s all done, the weather was absolutely brilliant for us.”
Mr Illing said despite his wheelbarrow weighing 18kg (39lbs) and being 7ft 6in (2.2m) in length it was “very manoeuvrable”, although it does “tend to get a little bit heavy on the shoulders”.
“[Poulton residents] popped along in trickles so that we didn’t have a great big crowd but we were constantly coming along and wishing well and giving enthusiasm.”
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