A WINCHESTER Rotarian raised more than £4,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association at the Clarendon Half Marathon.

Richard Spalding, from Kings Worthy, completed his first (and he says “last"), half marathon on Sunday, October 1.

He has raised £4,073 after an initial target of £1,000. 

Mr Spalding is part of the Rotary team who organise the marathon, which attracted more than 1,100 entries this year.

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He said: “I have always done my best to keep slim and fit throughout my career in the Royal Navy but had to work hard at it. On retiring, I decided to take up regular short distance running and even became the founding chair of the Worthy Runners running club for eight years. In that time, I completed the Clarendon Relay nine times. This year, being my tenth event, I decided to enter the half, spurred on by the idea of raising money for my sister in law who is severely ill with the cruel and incurable Motor Neurone Disease.”

He added: “The conditions were good: both the weather and underfoot, but the hills weren’t so good. I found it mighty tough and particularly painful in the latter stages when I had to make a number of stops to stretch out severe multiple cramps, as I suspected I would have to do. It was undoubtedly the hardest run I have ever done, by far. But I got round, helped by thinking about my sister in law along the way and about all the generous donations."

For more details about the fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/page/richard-spalding-mnd-clarendon-half.