Many congratulations to estate agent Alex Beresford, who has run a half marathon in aid of the British Heart Foundation after undergoing open heart surgery last year at the age of just 26.

Alex, manager of the Beresford branch in Chelmsford, Essex, completed the Brentwood event, raising over £2,000 for his cause. He had set himself a goal of £300.

He completed the course in just over two hours and was supported by three colleagues who also ran: Alison Horsley, Rob Twitchett and Andrew Spencer. All three also completed the course in just over two hours.

After the race Alex said: “I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to give something back to the British Heart Foundation.

“If it wasn’t for their work I may have not been able to undergo the procedure that I did.”

Diagnosed in September 2013 with a heart murmur, Alex was subsequently found to have other serious problems including an aneurism and a leaky valve.

In February 2014 he underwent major surgery at the Royal Brompton hospital in Chelsea where the revolutionary ‘David Procedure’ was used to fix both the aneurysm and the valve. The British Heart Foundation has funded research.

There is still time to donate here