Six-year-old's marathon effort for the Young Minds Trust
He is only six years old but Blake Hamilton has been out covering the miles and raising hundreds of pounds for charity.
The Telford youngster has managed to raise £810 for the charity Young Minds, by running a marathon distance – over the series of several days – during Easter.
Blake ran his first mile at Hadley Learning Community Primary School where he is a pupil, joined by friends and classmates as he set off on his efforts.
The young runner completed the rest of the distance with his father Andy, 41, and his grandfather.
Blake's mother, Hayley, said that he already enjoyed going out for runs with his father, and was running up to two and a half miles at a time.
The charity being supported by Blake's efforts is the Young Minds Trust, an organisation which seeks to tackle mental health issues faced by children, and to provide support for those who need it.
Hayley said the idea for the run had come after they had talked about how the lockdown and the impact of the pandemic had affected Blake.
She said that after talking about how he had been missing the chance to go and see his friends, he wanted to do something for other children who may have been more affected by situations.
Hayley said: "It's always important to chat about how we feel and particularly at the moment."
She added that she was immensely proud of his efforts, and thankful for the support of the school.
"I am proud because he just takes it in his stride. He just does it and does it with a smile on his face, he's a little superstar without realising.
"The school have been great too. When we told his teacher they asked if he could do the first mile with the class so they joined him. The school has been fantastic, really good and really supportive."
Anyone who wishes to support Blake's fundraising efforts can do so online at justgiving.com/fundraising/hayley-rushworth.
