Shropshire cattle farmer Mervin Mullard completed the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon at the age of 73.

The marathon takes runners on a lap of Lake Vyrnwy in Powys, starting and finishing in the village of Abertridwr. Mervin completed the race in 2 hours 21 minutes. He said: “I was slower than I hoped, but for my age I didn’t do too bad.”

This is the latest in a long line of fitness challenges Mervin has taken on to raise funds for R.A.B.I. In 2017 he ran the London Marathon and in 2018 he completed the Montgomery Canal Triathlon despite an injury.

Mervin added: “I do a couple of events every year. I organise a quiz night in spring, then do a run of some sort later on in the year. It’s all for R.A.B.I, but it helps keep me fit as well. It’s a good excuse to go out for a run in the mornings.

“My daughter and son-in-law were doing the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon as well, so I thought it would be good to join them. They were faster than me, of course, but it was still fun.

“The run starts with a climb up to the dam, you go around the lake, then back down into the village. There was a slight incline at the end, but I didn’t stop running. I even managed to overtake someone.”

Mervin has been part of the Shropshire committee for over 20 years. He continues to run his 400 acre farm with the help of his grandson and attributes his fitness to the busy life of a farmer.

Not finished with fundraising, Mervin is hoping to do the Great North Run next year.

You can still make a donation on Mervin’s Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Mervin-Mullard