Regional press man Phil Pearson has raised hundreds of pounds for charity by completing this year's New York Marathon - despite freak weather conditions.

Design editor Phil, who works for the North West Evening Mail, was among some 30,000 runners who ran the 26-mile course through the city's five boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Phil said: "It was really warm for November. I had a suitcase full of jumpers but it was 69F."

But despite the heat Phil managed to complete the course in a respectable four hours and 29 minutes.

He said: "I ran the London Marathon in 2000 in three hours and 30 minutes, but didn't really have a time in mind and I was just aiming to finish the course.

"It was great to go to New York. The crowd were really supportive, screaming things like 'go for it' and 'good job'.

"I didn't do as much training as I should have done, but I ran all the way - although for the last five or six miles you could hardly call it running.

"I was determined to finish. After about 20 miles I was in pain but by that stage there was no way I was going to give in."

And Phil was in good company - he bumped into globe-trotting adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes at the start of the marathon, who was in the city to complete his seventh marathon on seven continents in seven days.

Phil said: "I couldn't believe it. I had read about him attempting the seven marathons in seven days and there he was in the blue channel with me!

"I had a good chat with Sir Ranulph and wished him all the best and he wished me good luck."