Fundraiser runs 100 miles in 24 hours for hospice

Gary McKee ran the 100 miles in loops from a community centre in his home town of Cleator Moor in Cumbria

A fundraiser who ran a marathon every day for a year has completed his latest challenge of running 100 miles in 24 hours.

Gary McKee completed his run at about 09:00 BST, after running loops of 12.5 miles (20km) every three hours at a community centre near his home in Cleator Moor, Cumbria.

He said he could not have done it "without the support of those who ran with me and the community who came out to cheer me on".

The father-of-three took up the challenge to raise funds for Hospice at Home West Cumbria (HHWC) in memory of his friend Brian Telford.

A number of other fundraising activities were held throughout the night as Mr McKee completed his run

Mr McKee raised £1m by running a 26.2-mile (42km) route every day for a year in 2022, often before starting work at the Sellafield nuclear site.

In 2023, he completed the Grand to Grand Ultra, a 171-mile (275km) race starting at the Grand Canyon in Arizona and finishing at the Grand Staircase in Utah.

Mr McKee admitted his latest achievement had been "tough" but added that "doing things for a reason made it much easier".

"It's amazing how much this community has supported me over the years and I'm so grateful," he said.

HHWC's Hayley McKay said the atmosphere across the 24 hours had been "incredible".

"Gary is just a machine," she said.

"His mental toughness is extraordinary and to see him go out again and again in the middle of the night was incredible.

"I'd also like to thank the people of this area, who have supported Gary and the hospice again so well."