As financial planners a husband and wife team from Helston are used to striving for goals – but a half marathon in London was a different kind of stretch.

Helston-based chartered financial planner Mark Smitheram and his wife Jo, also a partner in their business Duchy IFA, have just have just completed the first ever London Landmarks Half Marathon, alongside two other friends.

Between them they raised more than £2,000 for four charities: Alzheimer's Society, Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish and the Royal British Legion.

Mark has been running since 2015 and is a regular runner on a Saturday at Helston's Penrose Park Run, while for Jo this was her first ever half marathon.

Mark, who ran for Alzheimer's Society, said: “It was an amazing experience to run around the famous landmarks of London, with the great support of over 100 different charities and all the cheering, knowing you are helping to raise some money for such a worthwhile cause.

“Sadly I deal with a lot of older clients, whom a certain percentage of suffer from dementia.

“I would like to thank all my customers for their very generous donations.”

For Jo, who ran for Macmillan Cancer Support, this was the first time she had ever run 13.1 miles in one go, having only taken up the sport last year when she started joining Mark on the park runs.

She said: “The support from our team and the crowds kept me going and it was such a brilliant feeling crossing the finish line by Downing Street.

“I have just found out that I have been really lucky and got a place for the Great North Run in September, where there are 50,000 runners, so I hope to raise some more money for Macmillan.”

The London Landmarks Half Marathon was hosted by charity Tommy's and had a pre-fund raising target of £4 million, which it has beaten.