Bereaved father runs six marathons in six days

Nicholas Peacey had planned to run from the Forest of Dean to the London hospital but due to lockdown has had to run the distance locally

A bereaved father has run six marathons in six days to raise money for the Evelina London Children's Hospital.

Nicholas Peacey's daughter Grace who died shortly after her birth in May 2020 was cared for by staff there.

He had planned to run from his home in the Forest of Dean to the London hospital but due to lockdown has had to run the distance locally.

Mr Peacey said he had been hoping to raise £2,000 and it was "crazy" that he had raised more than £14,000 so far.

On not running his original route to the hospital, Mr Peacey said: "It would be silly to fundraise for the NHS if I was breaching lockdown rules.

"So I've done the same route every day, up and down the river near where we live in English Bicknor."

Mr Peacey - whose longest run prior to the challenge was a half-marathon - said he completed the first marathon in just over four and a half hours but on Wednesday it took him nearly six hours.

"I was getting slower, quite considerably slower, through the week.

"The last run I was spurred on and ran a bit quicker but the last five miles were pretty hellish."

Mr Peacey said he was "eternally grateful" to the hospital staff for the "fantastic care" they had given Grace.

Mr Peacey said he was "eternally grateful" to the hospital staff for the care they gave Grace

"They don't get that much praise for the work they do because nobody wants to talk about infant mortality," he said.

"And more than anything, they afforded us time with our daughter which is something we will be eternally grateful for.

"And I just wanted to say thank you. Hopefully with the money raised, this will be a fitting tribute."