A DAD from Dursley has raised more than £3,300 for charity by taking on the London Marathon – after overcoming a serious illness.

Father-of-two Damian Lai, 39, ran Sunday’s marathon in four hours, 14 minutes and 28 seconds – beating his target of four hours and 15 minutes.

Damian, a technical manager at Renishaw in Wotton-under-Edge, was raising money for the British Lung Foundation (BLF) as, in January 2014, he was hit by a virus which attacked his body, leading to him developing severe pneumonia.

Antibiotics didn't work and his immune system didn't fight back, so he had to have an operation to remove the infection and spent three weeks in hospital.

This near death experience inspired Damian, who was nearly 20 stone at the time, to take up running to lose weight – and after seeing the pounds fall off, he decided to tackle the London Marathon.

Damian, whose father has industrial asthma, decided he wanted to run for a charity close to his heart – and knowing he was helping others with lung problems spurred him on throughout the gruelling 26.2-mile marathon.

Damian, who has two sons, told the Gazette: “It was an absolutely amazing experience and a dream come true. It lived up to all expectations and more.

“It was so lovely to have my wife and children cheering me on at mile 25.”

Commenting on his decision to run for the BLF, Damian said: “I was very ill in 2014, but the care I received was second to none. I feel very fortunate to have been cured.

"By helping charities like the BLF who make a difference by funding projects, I can help make sure that one day everyone breathes clean air with healthy lungs.

“I needed to do something special if I was going to raise lots of money, and my dream was to run the London Marathon.

Anyone who would like to support Damian can visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DamianLai