Thanks to everyone who sponsored me.  I just about managed to finish the marathon, but miles 18 to 26 really were as unpleasant as everyone had told me they would be. I stumbled home in 4 hrs 50 mins.

If you haven't sponsored me already, there's still time to do so. So here's some information about Butoke.

Together with friends I have set up the Friends of Butoke Charity to support Butoke, a small NGO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Butoke works with the poorest people on earth, including the AIDS orphans in my picture - see the pictures below, too.

Butoke looks after orphaned children, provides basic healthcare and feeds the malnourished and starving who come through its doors. It also runs a food security programme; its agronomists help farmers who abandoned their fields during the civil war to re-establish their crops.

Butoke is run by two doctors, one Congolese (who is also an agronomist) and one Belgian. I have known the Belgian doctor for more than 20 years and she has more than 40 years' experience of development work in Africa and Asia.

100% of the money given to the Friends of Butoke goes to Butoke.

You can find out more about Butoke by visiting www.butoke.org

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

Please dig deep and help me raise my target!