A TIMPERLEY man ran his first ever marathon in Manchester to raise money for a charity that helps young people who are injured while playing sport.

Alistair Tanner, 41, of Westwood Avenue, is raising funds for the Rosslyn Park Injury Trust.

His late grandfather, Derek Tanner, was one of the first trustees of the charity, which was set up in 1981.

The trust recently donated a £6000 state-of-the-art, specialist wheelchair to former Blackburn RFC player George Claxton who broke his neck playing.

The ‘life changing’ gift will help George, 16, fulfil his ambition to represent Great Britain in the Paralympics wheelchair rugby in 2016 in Rio.

Alistair aims to do 10 or more runs following his run on April 6 in the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon - his next gruelling challenge is a 24 hour endurance relay run in Reading in June: Endure 24.

Admitting he is ‘not particularly fast’, his goal is simply “to raise as much money as I can doing something that brings me personal fulfilment.”

Finishing Sunday’s marathon in three hours and 51 minutes, he said: “It was undoubtedly the hardest thing I have ever done and I was quite emotional at the end.”

The trust provides grants and support for a range of sports as well as rugby including cycling, cricket, rock climbing, motorcross and trampolining. Donations can be made at: www.virginmoneygiving.com/rpit.