A couple from Molesey have raised thousands of pounds for Kingston Hospital by running a marathon at home and finishing it in their back garden.

Cat King, a clinical nurse specialist at Kingston Hospital, was due to run the London Marathon this year before it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Together with husband Ben she raised £3,000 for the NHS hospital's charity after running 13 miles each around Molesey and completing their marathon in their own back garden.

Your Local Guardian: Cat completing the marathon for Kingston Hospital NHS Cat completing the marathon for Kingston Hospital NHS

To ensure the full distance was recognised on their watches, Cat and Ben even had to run an additional 2km, on top of their planned distance.

Speaking about the challenge, Cat said: “I know how valuable it is to have emotional support at work and having faced the unimaginable, I will be forever grateful to my managers and amazing colleagues for their help in keeping me well, at work and at home.

"I wanted to use this run to say a big thank you and to help support others at work.

"I know that Kingston Hospital is committed to the wellbeing of staff and we hope this money can help with future developments.”

Interim Head of Kingston Hospital Charity, Rob Aldous praised Cat and Ben's efforts on learning of their success: “What a brilliant effort by Cat and Ben to complete this marathon during lockdown on what should have been London Marathon day, while raising over £3,000 to support colleagues at Kingston Hospital.

"We wish Cat well when she gets the chance to run the London Marathon in loving memory of her sister, hopefully in October this year," he said.

Cat's planning to run the rescheduled London Marathon on October 4 to raise money for Mind, the mental health charity.