A DURHAM man has returned from the trip of a lifetime running in the New York Marathon.
Neil Defty, a project team leader in Durham University's curriculum, evaluation and management centre, entered the race, his first full marathon, on a whim.
He had aimed to finish about 45 minutes behind women's race winner Paula Radcliffe and managed a respectable three hours, 35 minutes and 50 seconds, crossing the line 3,618th out of the 36,527 finishers.
Neil, who flew out New York with wife Claire, said: "I was very pleased with my time and my performance.
"It was a fantastic experience to be there and to be cheered by some two million spectators along the route."
Neil, 35, from Crossgate Moor, in Durham, started running five years ago and has taken part in the Great North Run but had been unsuccessful in entering the London Marathon.
He was running in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care and hopes to add to the £400 sponsorship pledged by family, friends and colleagues.
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