A PASTOR from Rugby swapped his robes for a tracksuit as he took on the London Marathon.
Senior minister Barry Killick, aged 65, completed the 26.2 mile long course in five hours and 36 minutes last weekend.
Barry, who lives in Cawston, ran in aid of Elim Missions, a charity which works with underprivileged children in the Philippines and Romania.
Although Barry does not call himself a serious runner, he has been in training since May 2015 when he first applied for the event.
He said: “I didn’t really expect to get a place as it can be very competitive, so I was very surprised when I found out – I don’t know if my age helped.
“I have been training for several months, attempting longer runs each week.
“Certainly, I felt a little nervous on the morning of the race, but there was such a brilliant atmosphere in London with the 38,000 other runners.
“The race wasn’t easy and I could see lots of other people struggling around me, but I managed to get to the end.”
Many members of the Elim Church in Cambridge Street showed their support for Barry before and during the marathon through social media.
Barry received a medal which he will be proudly showing to his congregation and is now considering what his next big challenge should be.
He added: “I’ve been privileged to be able to trek to Everest Base Camp in 2010 so perhaps it is time for me to try something cycling related.”
