A NEWTOWN runner completed the gruelling London Marathon on Sunday after being pushed towards the starting line by his dad.

Robert Young pulled on his trainers to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

The 41-year-old's challenge of running his first marathon came just months after his 69-year-old father survived a heart-attack.

And it was his dad who encouraged him to head for the capital in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Robert, who raised around £600, said: "Taking part in the London Marathon was a huge challenge and an incredible experience.

"The atmosphere on the day was brilliant and I am proud to have been part of the Heart Runners team for such an iconic event. "Knowing I was running for a wonderful charity made me determined to succeed.

"It was fantastic to have everyone there cheering me on and to know that my sponsorship money will help the BHF raise funds for life saving research to bring new hope to the seven million people living with heart and circulatory disease in the UK."

Robert completed the 26.1 miles in 4.31 hours.

And hopes to line up on a marathon starting line again.

Karen McDonnell, events manager at the British Heart Foundation, added: "Without the dedication and commitment of people like Robert we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.

"The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see Robert and around 400 others take on such a tough challenge and help us stop heart disease in its tracks.”