Army veteran runs 25 marathons in 25 days for charity

Brian Wood ran 25 marathons in 25 days in memory of dead soldiers

PA Media Brian Wood — Brian Wood ran 25 marathons in 25 days in memory of dead soldiers

A veteran has raised more than £70,000 after completing 25 marathons in 25 days in aid of an armed forces charity.

Military Cross recipient Brian Wood, from Whitehall, Hampshire, ran a total of 635 miles (1,005 km) in aid of Walking With The Wounded (WWTW).

The 41-year-old former soldier carried out the challenge in memory of the 635 soldiers who died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Completing the runs on Thursday he said was "overwhelmed" by the response.

The former colour sergeant in the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment finished his final marathon at Hogmoor Inclosure - a former Army off-road vehicle training track near Bordon, Hampshire.

He said: "I wanted to pay my respects to the 635 people who gave their lives during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

"Running 635 miles over 25 days has not been easy but it is no comparison to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

"I have been humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity and support I have received from so many of the public over the past month."

Mr Wood raised £70,000 for Walking With The Wounded

Chief executive of WWTW Fergus Williams described Mr Wood's achievement as "superhuman".

"The amount that he has raised, so far, will make a fundamental difference to the lives of our veterans and their families, and it will make a big difference to the number of ex-military that we can support through our mental health and employment programmes," he said.

Mr Wood was awarded a Military Cross for gallantry in combat for his actions during the Battle of Danny Boy in Iraq in 2004.

WWTW is a charity helping veterans who have been mentally or physically wounded get back on their feet.