One man and his dog from Ponsanooth took part in the Exmoor Half Marathon earlier this month in memory of his BAFTA winning uncle and raised £550 for charity.

Mark Goff, 30, ran the race with his dog, Pongo, and his brother-in-law, Tom, in memory of Chris Collins, a BAFTA winning producer, who died of cancer last year.

Chris’s family and friends are aiming to raise £15,000 collectively over the next 18 months for Dimbleby Cancer Care.

The charity was set up in 1966 in memory of broadcaster Richard Dimbleby and is based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London. It gives practical and psychological support to people living with cancer and to their families and carers. Chris was treated at Guy’s Hospital for stomach cancer and the charity supported him during this time.

Mark said of the half marathon: “I felt exhausted pretty much from about the four-mile point right through to the end but I just had to keep reminding myself of the £550 raised for Chris which helped me carry on.

“Pongo barked pretty much every half a mile at least to remind me that I wasn’t going quick enough for him and I think he could have probably run a full marathon if I had let him. I am delighted that I have beaten my fundraising goal and can make this contribution to the charity. Chris was such a special person so it means a lot to me to have finished this in his memory.”

Mark and Pongo completed the run in three hours 11 minutes and Tom finished ahead at two hours 33 minutes.

Robin Pritchard, director at Dimbleby Cancer Care, said: “Well done to Mark, Tom and Pongo for their efforts. They all did brilliantly, especially given how warm the weather was that day. The family’s fundraising has already raised over £4,000 so they are well on their way to reaching their £15,000 goal and celebrating his life with a long lasting tribute.”

To support Mark’s effort visit https://www.justgiving.com/Markgoff.