THE Mayor of Dudley has raised about £7,000 for his five charities after completing the 2016 London Marathon.

Councillor Steve Waltho was joined at the race by friend and Stourbridge singer-songwriter Chris Passey, who was taking part in the 26.2 mile run for the MS Society.

Cllr Waltho and his son Joe found the marathon a struggle as they made their way around the course in six hours and 13 minutes, while Chris pipped the pair to the post by crossing the finish line after five hours and 50 minutes.

No stranger to the capital’s marathon, this was the seventh time Dudley’s mayor has completed the race for charity, but it was by far his toughest.

He told the News: “It was an amazing day and a fantastic occasion, even though it did take us a while to go round.

“We knew it wouldn’t be a cakewalk, but my lad Joe did struggle as he hadn’t really done much training for it.

“We went round the first half in about two-and-a-half hours, which wasn’t too bad, but the second half really was a physical and mental struggle. But we got round and raised the money for the charities and that is all that mattered.”

Chris, who only took up running last year after getting a place on the marathon, has so far raised just short of £3,400 for MS Society.

Following the race, he told the News: “I think I'm dead. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but never again.

“I broke my ankle a few years ago and it's really giving me jip. I’m not a runner, so I hang my running shoes up!”

Cllr Waltho, who still competes in a number of shorter distance runs across the borough, was less definite as to whether he has taken his marathon running shoes off for the last time.

He added: “It was great to be joined at the race Joe and Charlotte, the daughter of The West Midlands Lupus Group fundraising volunteer Sue Randle, and we also met Chris at the start, so the four of us were able to run together for a short while.

“It was a great day, but I think it is going to be the last marathon I do.”

To support Chris in his run and donate to the MS Society, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningformultiplereasons To donate towards the Mayor’s five charities – The Hope Centre in Halesowen, The What? Centre in Stourbridge, More Mascots Please in Brierley Hill, The Leukaemia Unit Appeal Fund at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, and The West Midlands Lupus Group in Coseley – visit mydonate.bt.com/charities/mayorofdudleyscharities