A KEEN walker from York has completed an immense 274-mile trek across the country for a cause close to his heart.

Steve Smith, from Clifton Moor in York has completed the distance, which was the equivalent of ten marathons, in ten days, reaching Sheffield, Lutterworth, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds and Normanton.

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Throughout the journey, Steve, who works for a new charity called the evo Foundation, was joined by hundreds of his colleagues who took part and joined him for different legs of the trek, with his family and friends ready to surprise him as he crossed the finish line.

Fundraising on behalf of evo, the feat was designed to help raise money for the advancement of education and the prevention of poverty globally. The event has already raised £31,000, and is continuing to rise thanks to Steve and colleagues’ charitable efforts.

York Press: Steve taking part in the trekSteve taking part in the trek (Image: Supplied)

Steve said: “The last ten days have been a fantastic journey, made possible by my wonderful colleagues. What started as an idea amongst half a dozen of us quickly became a challenge that has involved more than 100 employees from across the country.

"The hardest moments of the journey, including the hills between Leeds and Buxton and the resulting blisters, were all worthwhile knowing I had the support of my colleagues, our suppliers, friends, and my family who were there to cheer me on for the final stretch.”

When asked how he decided on the event and whether there would be more to come, Steve said: “I love to walk. On a typical weekend, I do about twenty miles for a bit of fun. So I thought, why not turn this into a challenge to help raise money for a worthy cause?”

York Press: Steve with his evo colleaguesSteve with his evo colleagues (Image: Supplied)

Andrew Gale, evo CEO / Trustee and founder of the evo Foundation, said: “The evo Foundation was launched to help assist those of us who fall on hard times, as education should be available to everyone, regardless of their situation. Unfortunately, we still see so many young, talented people unable to reach their full potential due to costs like equipment and travel.

“Our new charity, marked by our first event alongside Steve, has got off to such a great start that we have surpassed our goal of £25,000 and raised £31,000 which is wonderful news.

"A big thank you to our suppliers for donating, supporting and even joining the walk.  This, of course, is only the beginning and we cannot wait to continue organising worthwhile events to help make a real difference."

To donate towards the evo Foundation’s ‘Walk of evo’, visit: justgiving.com/campaign/walkofevo