Both Alan Walker, director of Fersina North Yorkshire Ltd, and Richard Mellen, owner of Savilles Cook Shop, Malton, earned better times than they expected.

"No one was more surprised than me because for my training I did a grand total of three runs!" said Alan, who estimates he finished in around two hours.

His training had been hampered by a calf injury but he added: "About halfway round, I realised I was going absolutely great and went for it. The only thing that held me back was trying to get past people."

The luck of the draw led Richard to suffer a similar problem - as he started right at the back of the field and had to navigate the slower runners and people in fancy dress.

"There was me and then there was the buses and trucks behind me. It was a mile and a half to the start line so I ran one mile further than everyone else!"

But he estimates he finished in just under two hours and 40 minutes and raised more than £500 - with more still coming in - for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation.

"It was great fun but tiring. Walking back to the car was hard. It was only 600 metres away but it took me more than half and hour to get there!"

Sarah Lally, the Malton and Pickering Mercury's multimedia sales consultant, was forced to pull out of the race after she suffered a back injury.