Brothers aged eight and six walk London Marathon route in 13 hours for charity

Fuelled by chocolate and sweets, two brothers have walked the London Marathon route the day before the race to raise money for the homeless.

Nicholas Harrison, eight, and his younger brother Alex, six, completed the walk with their father Tom Harrison, 42, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire in a time of 13 hours and two minutes.

Having trained for the event since November, the group set themselves a fundraising target of £1,000 for homelessness charity St Mungo’s, but after they had crossed the finish line that total stood at more than £1,500.

“I’m immensely proud of the boys,” Mr Harrison told the Press Association. “They did so well today, and only really started moaning in the last two miles.

“It’s great that little kids can achieve great things but also inspire other people. Hopefully it will give the runners tomorrow a boost when they’re flagging.”

After enjoying adventurous walks with their parents the pair were searching for a new challenge, so Mr Harrison suggested they walk the marathon, while it was Nicholas’s idea to raise money for the homeless.

Alex told the Press Association that the walk was fuelled by Wine Gums, Jelly Babies, Chocolate Buttons and Soreen snacks, while Nicholas said he enjoyed seeing Buckingham Palace and the River Thames.

“I feel happy and proud and my feet hurt,” said Nicholas, while Alex also said he felt proud.

And while brothers are famous for their disagreements, when asked if they would repeat the feat in the future both Nicholas and Alex were on the same wavelength.

“No I probably wouldn’t,” said Nicholas. “I might do half of it!”

Meanwhile Alex said: “Maybe,” before adding: “One that’s not as long.”

If you would like to support Nicholas and Alex’s cause, visit their JustGiving page entitled “Alex and Nicholas take on the London Marathon Course”.