Two Deal runners overcame extreme fatigue, blisters and heavy rain to complete 100 miles - and raise money for the Stroke Association.

Simon Read, from Eastry, and Steve Wakeford, from Deal, completed the Games 100, organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association.

Both members of Deal Tri, they had planned to run the whole event, which started from near the Olympic stadium at Stratford in east London. But night fell as they were going into a woodland section, so they decided to walk the rest of the route, finally reaching the finish, at Windsor, in 37 hours 10 minutes.

It was Simon’s 100th run of at least marathon distance. He said: “I wanted to make my 100th a special event, and 100 miles was magical.

“We both got blisters, which made the walking pretty slow and painful, but we kept on and we got there.”

The Games 100 was organised to mark the LDWA’s 40th birthday, the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee.

The route went through London to Surrey with more than 10,000 feet of ascent on the hills, and finished after crossing Windsor Great Park.

Apart from being his 100th marathon, it was also the first 100-mile event for Simon, 52. He said: “It was am amazing event.”

Steve, 53, from Deal, said: “I was getting blisters on my blisters, and afterwards my feet were really swollen. We had to contend with some torrential rain and some very steep hills. We also had to walk through the night. After 44 miles, when it was dark, we just felt it was safer to walk rather than to run.”

With money still coming in, the pair are well on the way to hitting their target of raising £2,000 for the Stroke Association. Simon and Steve chose that charity because they both have family and friends who have suffered from strokes.