A MAN from Suckley, near Worcester, came 18th out of 777 runners in the first-ever Ultra Trail du Mount Fuji, a 100-mile ultra-marathon race held in Japan.

Dan Parr, who lives in Hong Kong and whose parents still live in Suckley, said: “The race was a wonderful experience but extremely tough.”

Mr Parr, aged 35, is no stranger to extreme running, having done several 100km races and two 250km stage races, but a 100-miler was a step up for him.

He said: “I finished in 25- and-a-half hours, which I was pretty happy with.

“Twenty-eight per cent of racers did not finish and my primary goal in my first 100-miler was to finish, so to get to the end and be top 20 was great.”

The race was organised by Kabaraki-san, a well-known Japanese ultra-runner.

The first was due to be held last year, but it had to be postponed after the earthquake and tsunami. Mr Parr said: “The sense of euphoria and emotion at the end of a race like this is almost overwhelming.

“When you have trained extremely hard for months in the hope of achieving that moment when you cross the line, there is almost a sense of relief when it is over.”

He raised nearly £2,000 for Maggie’s Care Centres, which provide support for individual and families affected by cancer.

He said: “A good friend of mine was recently and shockingly diagnosed with cancer.

“He is mid-30s with a wife and two kids.

“Maggie’s has been a real source of strength and support for them over the last few months so to be able to contribute to their worthy cause was a big motivator.”