A Swindon man has raised more than £1,000 by completing the London Marathon in memory of his father.

Shaun Wimble, 46, joined 800 British Heart Foundation runners on Sunday, April 21 to raise money for the charity, which funds research into treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.

He took on the 26.2 miles in memory of his father Graham, who died suddenly in 2022 from a heart attack, having never had never had a history of heart problems. 

Due to Covid restrictions, Shaun and his family were unable to see him and did not get the chance to say goodbye. 

Shaun said: “Taking part in the 2024 TCS London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation was such a huge challenge and an incredible experience. The atmosphere around the course was electric and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on, it made me even more determined to cross the finish line.  

“I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.”  

Together they raised more than £1.4 million.

Andy Tribe, events manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic to see Shaun’s courage and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research. Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners and the commitment of people like Shaun, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see Shaun and 800 others take on such a gruelling challenge to help save and improve lives.”