A WEST Cumbrian man who ran the New York marathon wants to raise £100 for each mile he completed.

Michael Pritchard, 43, of Cockermouth, completed the 26.2 miles last week to raise money for Hospice At Home West Cumbria.

And now he is hoping to reach his fundraising target of £2,600.

"I've raised around £1,900 so far, which is fantastic. I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the people who have supported me with the training and the sponsorships.

"I started having cramps five miles before the finish, it was quite painful. Physically and psychologically it made it quite difficult, but I kept thinking 'I have to do this for all those people who have sponsored me and my daughter.' Although I finished slower than I wanted to, I still completed it and that is down to people's support," he said.

Michael had initially wanted to complete the marathon in four and a half hours, but due to the cramps he finished in just over five hours.

But what most matters to Michael is the fundraising for Hospice At Home. Before his mother died she needed nurses to care for her in the latter part of her life and he chose the charity because of the support it offers local families at a very difficult time.

It was Michael's daughter Ella Pearl, two, who inspired him to enter the marathon, after his bosses, Flimby's New Balance, offered employees an opportunity to bid for a place on the event, which they sponsor.

Michael, who is an operations manager at the firm, said: "We had to say what would inspire us to train for the New York marathon and my daughter was my inspiration. New Balance pride themselves in being independent and not copying what their competitors are doing. I explained how Ella at two-and-a-half years old is so fiercely independent, she is strong willed and tackles everything head-on - she's not afraid to fall down. My daughter is one of the most important people in my life and she's my inspiration."

His fiancee Kerry Scott was on the end of the phone after he finished the event, and some of her family members who live in the US cheered him at mile 23.

Michael said: "The atmosphere was great, the views of Manhattan were fantastic and getting into Brooklyn the atmosphere was similar to a carnival with lots of bands playing. When I got to Queens there were thousands and thousands of people, the roar I heard when I got there was like coming home from winning the world cup."

To sponsor Michael and help him reach his target visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michael-pritchard9.