A MUM who ran the Newport Marathon on two weeks’ training in memory of two teenagers raised nearly £800 for charity from her efforts.

Angela Whitehead, who has two children at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, completed the 26.2-mile challenge in tribute to Monmouth School boy Tom Walker, who died of leukaemia aged 13 last year, and former pupil James De Sousa Stayton, aged 19, who lost his life falling from the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral at the start of last month.

Angela, from Monmouth, raised the money for Cancer Research Wales and Rowing Together for Healthy Minds (RTHM), and posted: “A massive thank you to everyone for their support and kind donations.

“Today gorgeous sisters (of Tom) Holly and Emily Walker opened all the envelopes and began counting in front of Debbie (Tom’s mother) and Alex, two incredible mothers blown away by the generosity of this amazing community.

“Nearly £800 received through kindness.”

She thanked people for their “incredible support”, but said: “I have to admit it was tough emotionally as well as physically.

“Deciding that you’re going to run a full marathon just two weeks before the race, at 51 years old, was very challenging.

“But, hopefully, I have given a little hope to two amazing families.”

“People asked me during race about the story of the two young people on my shirt,” she said.

“One man even told me he had kept my back in sight throughout and that the two boys on my shirt had kept him going.

“It was such an honour to be able to run for two incredibly brave boys and their families.”