A trio of teachers have raised thousands of pounds for charity after completing their first ultra marathon.

Chris Cox, Ben Green and David Saker, who work at Gresham's school in Holt, took part in the 'South Coast Challenge', a 100km off-road race from Eastbourne to Arundel, during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

They raised £2745 for two charities during their fundraising challenge.

Chris and Ben took part in the challenge to raise money for 'Thinking of Oscar', a charity which aims to improve the experiences of young children and their families while they are in hospital care and to provide for the development of research and development into and the provision of improved diagnostic techniques and technology for paediatric care.

David completed the challenge to raise money for The Alzheimer's Society which seeks to support people suffering from dementia and to fund world-class research with the ultimate goal of defeating it.

Head of History, Chris Cox, who completed the race in 15 hours and 29 minutes, reflected: 'The climbs were so much more significant than we had realised making progress difficult and the conditions were extremely tough. I am so pleased to have completed the race, and it all feels quite surreal now.'

With a preference for racing, Chris is looking forward to completing half marathons in the future.

Gresham's Head of Biology, Ben Green, added: 'The team spirit shown by all the other runners made the time pass and I was grateful for the moral support, especially as we entered the early hours of the next morning. To reach the finish line and be met by Chris, Dave and our families was amazing. We earned our glass of Champagne and I have never been prouder of a medal. To have raised over £1500 for Thinking for Oscar is a great feeling.'

Head of Physics, David Saker, said: 'This was a real mental as well as physical challenge; the fact we were all running for such important charities gave us the determination to continue as the miles racked up. The support on the day was fantastic, and the encouragement from the other runners, event volunteers, friends and family really helped. I am really pleased and proud to have raised over £1200 for the Alzheimer's Society and would like to thank everyone who has sponsored us.'

Like Chris, Ben and David will not be resting for long. Together with a team from Gresham's School, they plan to take part in the Cambridge Half Marathon, an altogether more manageable distance, on Sunday, March 5, 2017.