Jamie Austin finishes the last leg of his challenge after setting off from Leeds 10 days ago.
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 JDRF charity 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 disease 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.”
Image source, Jamie Austin
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.”
Image source, Thomas Rohde
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.”
Image source, Erini Rodis
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