A father has completed his first marathon to honour his young daughter.

Rich Watton, who is 36 and lives in Banbury, took part in the 46th London Marathon on April 26 to collect money for the British Heart Foundation.

His inspiration was his youngest daughter, Verity, who was born with a heart problem and needed vital surgery when she was just ten months old.

Mr Watton said this was his first marathon and he felt tremendously proud to have been able to do it for Verity and the British Heart Foundation.

He only started running after Verity was born and has since developed a passion for the sport.

Taking part in the 2026 TCS London Marathon for the British Heart Foundation represented a huge challenge and was a tremendous experience.

The support from spectators along the course was amazing, and having so many people cheering him on was incredibly moving.

This backing drove him to push even harder to cross the finish line.

Mr Watton completed the 26.2-mile race in five hours and 20 minutes, collecting almost £5,000 for the charity.

He was among more than 650 other BHF runners.

Combined, they raised over £1.4 million to support the BHF’s efforts in creating new treatments and cures for heart and circulatory diseases.

Mr Watton said the research funded by the BHF makes such an impact on over eight million people and their families affected by cardiovascular disease in the UK.

He said he was proud to be doing everything possible to support their vital work in helping keep families throughout the UK together for longer.

Jas Kaur, events manager at the BHF, said it was wonderful to see Rich’s bravery and resolve in helping fund life-saving research.

She said without the commitment of their team of BHF runners and the dedication of people like Rich, they would not be able to fund research that has already transformed treatments and changed the lives of millions of people in the UK.

She said the reasons why their incredible supporters take part never cease to inspire her, and it was remarkable to see Rich and hundreds of others tackle such a demanding challenge to help save and improve lives.

Verity’s experience and her father’s marathon achievement have helped highlight the ongoing significance of researching congenital heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions.

Further information about supporting the BHF through fundraising events is available at www.bhf.org.uk/events.