Dad completes charity run along entire length of M1

Notts County fan Jamie stopped at Meadow Lane as he headed south

A dad has completed a run along the length of the M1 to raise money for a diabetes charity.

Jamie Austin has spent the last 10 days following a 220-mile (354 kilometre) route from Leeds to London on back roads and footpaths parallel to the motorway.

Nottingham-born Mr Austin finished the southbound challenge on Saturday.

He has raised more than £11,000 for charity JDRF, which researches type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Hurting pretty badly

The 49-year-old Notts County fan was motivated to do the run after his son Henry, 12, was diagnosed with the condition in 2020.

He set off on 23 January and admitted it had become harder and harder every day.

He said: "I started at a pretty good pace and kept it up but, by day five, my knee was hurting pretty badly and I though that might derail the whole thing.

"I was able to strap it up though and carry on."

Henry said it was great to have his dad home

Mr Austin, who stopped at Notts County's Meadow Lane ground part way through his route to complete a few laps of the pitch, said: "People's support has been incredible - especially from the T1D community who I have got to know.

"And then there have been the people who I met along the way. On day one I met a guy out running and we ran together for 10 or 15 minutes before parting ways.

"I later found he'd looked me up on Google and donated some money. That was just amazing."

Jamie (left) was joined by friends such as Thomas Rohde on parts of his journey

After finishing the run at his home in East Finchley, Mr Austin said: "It's been pretty hard but I'm glad I did it - and glad that I've been able to raise a lot of money to support the amazing work the JDRF does."

Henry said: "Dad has been brilliant. I'm glad he did this but it's great to have him home."

Jamie has raised more than £11,000 for the JDRF charity