A NORTH Yorkshire man was one of hundreds of runners who took to the streets of the capital to conquer the London Marathon and raise funds for lifesaving research. 

Among the runners for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) was 38-year-old health and safety advisor Jonny Drain, from Knaresborough, who raised £1,400.

He took on the iconic challenge after his close friend has a cardiac arrest while out running. He later discovered he had an underlying heart defect so Jonny decided to dedicate his run to him.

After crossing the finish line, Jonny said: "The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases, so I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.” 

So far, BHF London Marathon runners have raised nearly £2 million and rising. The money will go towards new research into regenerative medicine.

READ MORE: A York man has braved a head shave to raise vital funds for a cancer support charity - after he lost his wife to the disease.