A BLACK Country businessman has raised more than £2,000 for two causes close to his heart after successfully completing his first London Marathon.

Jason Connon, managing director of Cushillo Personnel recruitment company at The Waterfront in Brierley Hill, completed the gruelling 26-2-mile road race on Sunday October 2 in four hours, 41 minutes and 20 seconds.

The business boss was running for the Justice for Ryan campaign in memory of Ryan Passey who was fatally stabbed in a Stourbridge nightspot in August 2017 and to help raise funds for the family’s continuing fight for justice following the tragedy.

Jason, spokesperson for the campaign, said he hoped he’d done Ryan, aged 24, proud by successfully completing the event which he described as an "amazing" experience.

He said: "It was my first marathon. I'd done a few halves and fun runs but I'd always wanted to do the London Marathon and was lucky to get in through a ballot place in 2020 but it was cancelled due to Covid and then in 2021 I had to cancel because I came down with Covid four to five weeks before so I finally got to the finish line last Sunday."

He said the "the last six miles were the hardest and most painful thing ever" but he enjoyed the experience so much he's already signed up for a ballot place for next April's event.

"I'd love to do another one," he said.

Jason, aged 49, was also running to raise funds for The Parachute Regiment Charity which also has a special place in his heart, with the money raised to be split between that charity and the Justice for Ryan campaign.

To date he has raised £2,200 but anyone wishing to give his fundraising efforts a final boost can make a donation on the Go Fund Me website (search Running for Justice For Ryan & Support Our Paras) which will be open until Friday October 7.