TEENAGERS Alastair McElhoney and Jack Longbottom are taking a well-earned rest after an eight-day marathon that left them tired, blistered and triumphant.

The 18-year-olds traversed all types of terrain to complete the 190-mile coast to coast walk from St Bee's, Cumbria, to Robin Hood's Bay, near Whitby.

Camping for most nights, they carried all their equipment on their backs, took wrong tracks which put 30 miles on their journey and once fell in a bog.

But they have raised more than £1,000 through their efforts - with more still to come in.

Alastair and Jack are best pals who are now waiting for their A-level results after leaving Northallerton College.

They set out on their epic trek, their first long-distance walk, to raise money to help former Northallerton firefighter Pete Hoare, who was left paralysed after a cycling accident in May last year.

Local firefighters and friends are raising money to make Mr Hoare and his family more comfortable by alterations to their home and are currently looking at creating an en-suite bathroom for his use.

"It's been an amazing week, one of the best of my life, and it couldn't have been for a better cause," said Alastair.

"I'm usually the most inactive of people and I wanted to get fit and now I've got muscles where I didn't know I had them.

"Jack is much fitter than me and he helped me keep going."