Children run 23 marathons for lad who lost his life to type one diabetes

Simon Lee (left) organised a marathon challenge over the weekend in memory of Josh Evans Credit: Simon Lee

Bridgwater folk completed over 23 marathons in a day to remember a young man who died from type one diabetes.

Simon Lee, 34, from Burnham-on-Sea, organised the fundraiser at North Petherton RFC, which kicked off at 12pm on Saturday 15 April and ran until noon the following day.

Children as young as five took part - each running, rowing and "skiing" as far as they could to raise more than £2,500 for the Josh Evans Trust Fund.

Josh was just 21 when he died in a car accident after suffering from a hypoglycaemic attack. A fund was set up in his memory to help other families learn to cope with type one diabetes.

Simon, a personal trainer who lives with the condition, said the challenge was "pretty tough" and made harder by the fact he wore a 10kg vest throughout.

He said: "Halfway through I became quite ill and so did one of the other trainers who also has type one diabetes. The lack of sleep and irregular mealtimes can really affect your blood sugar and push you to your limits.

"We're all suffering a bit today, mainly from tiredness but also from a bit of soreness and stiffness. We're very pleased with how the challenge went - around 100 people of all ages took part and raised £2,600 for the Josh Evans Trust Fund."