Retired Towcester vet runs 38 marathons in 38 days

Alice Sheldon's marathon effort is raising money for mental health awareness

A retired equine vet has completed an extraordinary challenge to raise money to improve mental health in her profession.

Alice Sheldon, 47, from West Haddon, in Northamptonshire, ran 38 marathons in 38 days.

She raised money for a charity which is encouraging people to be active to improve well-being.

After 17 years in practice, Ms Sheldon retrained as a behaviour change coach and spends her time helping other vets.

Ever since Smarty the Shetland pony came into her life at the age of four, Alice Sheldon wanted to be a horse vet.

She qualified and started her dream job but then she developed Ménière's disease, which affects the inner ear and leads to problems with balance and hearing.

Ms Sheldon's daughter Alice has been running with her mother

She carried on working but collapsed at a veterinary conference and retired a few months later from Towcester Vets.

As she recovered, Ms Sheldon became aware of the pressure people working in her old profession were under.

She said: "Traditionally, we've always been quite kind-of 'crack on', don't say how we feel.

"We might be under a lot of stress or emotional problems, and to not talk about that has been the norm."

Ms Sheldon's husband Mike, who is a vet, says mental health in the profession is a big issue

Ms Sheldon has raised more than US$4,000 (£3,268) for the global charity NOMV - Not One More Vet, and the running challenge has not been easy.

Although she often goes running, Ms Sheldon had never taken part in a marathon before the beginning of September.

Over the last 38 days, she has completed the marathon distance at various locations across the country, from her own drive to Edinburgh and Liverpool.

Her family have been supporting her.

Daughter Matilda said: "We are used to her doing crazy things, like she went and did a 100-mile race so this is not out of scale."

Speaking after finishing her final marathon at about 13:30 BST on Sunday, Ms Sheldon said she felt "relieved, but tired".