A KEIGHLEY man completed a gruelling 80-mile charity run only to be seriously hurt in a traffic accident the following day.

Gareth Chapman, 35, who lives off Fell Lane, ran from Keighley to Barrow-in-Furness in only 12 and a half hours last Friday, (Sept 30) raising £293.

The next day he was injured when his motorbike was involved in a collision with a car in Station Road, Steeton.

His partner Donna Thompson, 39, said he broke four toes, cracked two vertebrae, needed to have one toe amputated and has also suffered muscle damage in his lower back.

Mr Chapman, who is a former Cumbria County fell running champion, is recovering at home after being released from hospital on Monday morning. (Oct 3)

Mrs Thompson said: "When you're out of luck, you're really out of luck.

"The accident happened when Gareth was going to meet some friends to celebrate the fact that he'd finished the challenge.

"He flew 40 yards down the road and his motorbike was written off. I think the only thing that saved him was his leathers and his helmet. His friend took him to hospital in his car.

"Gareth is back home now but he's on painkillers. He's just so determined and he's said this is not going to stop him from doing further runs for charity."

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed officers were investigating a collision involving three vehicles – including a red Honda motorbike and a grey Toyota Avensis – which took place in Station Road, near the junction with Steeton Grove, at 9.27pm last Saturday. (Oct 1)

Mr Chapman originally explained that he intended to run and walk non-stop from Keighley to the small town of Millom in Cumbria.

He had initially wanted to raise money for a Cumbria-based family, whose mother died suddenly of a heart condition in August leaving behind her husband and five children.

However, the intended beneficiary of the fundraising has since been changed to Brooklands Community Special School, in Skipton, which educates young people with learning difficulties.

Mrs Thompson said her partner set off on the 80-mile route shortly before 3am last Friday and finished at 3.30pm that day at the Travel Lodge in Barrow-in-Furness.

She said: "The actual run went fantastically, even though Gareth was absolutely exhausted when he finished.

"He'd been hoping to finish in 18 hours so he completely smashed his target. I was so shocked.

"He stopped for about five minutes in Kirkby Londsale for a drink and a different pair of trainers but apart from that he just kept going. He was phenomenal.

"It was pouring down in the early hours of the morning, so he got drenched, but the weather did get a bit better after 7am."

People can visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Penrith-Fundraising-1 to continue to donate towards Mr Chapman's fundraising effort.