Retired headteacher Dic Evans, who ran 1,000 miles in 100 days, has raised a massive £14,374 for the chemotherapy unit at Bronglais Hospital.

The 74-year-old veteran runner and athletics coach ran an average of 10 miles a day, every day, during lockdown and donations came flooding in from as far afield as Australia, Canada and the USA – from past pupils and parents, fellow athletes and numerous unknown donors.

Dic was cheered by the crowds on Aberystwyth promenade where he completed his run after 97 days of mainly off-road, often hill, running.

Dic said he wanted to thank everyone who donated.

“I set an original target of £1,000, so the response was amazing,” he said.

“The money raised will to go towards a much-needed service in Ceredigion and wider mid Wales. The staff in the chemo unit are wonderful, extremely caring and very hard-working and they need our support to enhance and expand the facilities and treatments they can provide.”

Dic said in the final weeks of the challenge he had found it quite hard going. “I was in a lot of pain,” he said. The weather was hot throughout, the ground dry and hard underfoot.

“But the messages that came in with donations were fantastic, as was the support of family and friends. So, I had to keep going.

Dic, who lives in Abermagwr, in the Ystwyth Valley, wanted to raise money for the Bronglais Hospital chemo unit after his partner, Liz Hughes, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, Nicola Llewelyn, said the charity and the staff in the chemotherapy unit wanted to thank Dic Evans for his fantastic achievement.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive,” Nicola said.