A TEAM of kind-hearted East Lancashire athletes have completed their gruelling Everest Marathon to raise £50,000 for charity.

The seven runners from Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, running in aid of local disabled athletes, said the 26-mile trek was their toughest yet.

The challenge, at altitudes of up to 17,000ft, was organised by experienced runner Garry Wilkinson, 41, from Billington, who came third in the run in 1999. On this trip he is joined by Neil Worswick, 37, of Worsthorne, Tyrone Morgan, 41, of Billington, John Roche, 47, of Burnley, Mark Brown, 44, of Burnley, Pete Booth, 55, of Burnley, and Candice Leah, 27, of Colne. Sponsorship money is to be split between two causes - the Get Kids Going charity, which supplies sports wheelchairs and Blackpool-based wheelchair athlete Shelly Woods, who is looking to reach the Paralympics at Beijing in 2008. After two weeks the team crossed the finish line in various forms of exhaustion and distress and will arrive home on Sunday.