Coronavirus: Suffolk man 'thanks NHS' with 50-mile garden run

Ben Blowes was joined by son Spencer, seven, for six of the 50 miles

A man who ran the London Marathon with a tumble dryer on his back has now raised money for local hospitals by running 50 miles (80km) in his garden.

Ben Blowes started at dawn on Saturday and took 15 hours and 36 minutes to cover the ultra-marathon distance.

The 47-year-old from Newmarket, Suffolk, said the £4,900 he had raised was a "thank you" to all those working in the health service.

"There's never been a time when we've needed it more," he said.

• Coronavirus live page: Updates from across the East of England

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?

• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise

• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

• MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak

• VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash

• STRESS: How to look after your mental health

Mr Blowes decided on the challenge, which involved 2,000 laps of a 40-metre course in his garden, after seeing other people doing fundraising runs.

Ben Blowes took 15 hours and 36 minutes to run the 50 miles in his garden

He had been training for the South Downs Way 50, an ultra-race race from Worthing to Eastbourne in Sussex, which was cancelled a month ago.

"Running in my garden turned out to be much tougher than I realised," he said.

"I couldn't get into a rhythm and passing my living room window every 30 seconds wasn't easy. It was a long old slog."

In 2017, Mr Blowes set a Guinness World Record for running the fastest marathon while carrying a household appliance, after completing the London course in five hours, 58 minutes and 37 seconds.