AN intrepid Redditch grandad has successfully completed his Arctic half marathon challenge in Greenland.

Doug Richards, age 65, who was one of just 98 runners from 24 different countries around the world to take part in the adventure, needed spikes fitted to his running shoes to stay upright on the slippery polar ice-cap which is over a mile thick.

"The weather was fairly kind to us,” said Mr Richards. "Although temperatures were well below zero, the wind was relatively light, so we soon warmed up once we got moving.

“The scenery was simply stunning, passing glaciers, frozen lakes and Arctic desert. It was a run I will never, ever forget."

This is by no means the first running adventure for the former University of Birmingham lecturer, as has previously completed races in the Moroccan Sahara, China, Sri Lanka and Jordan, and also has experience of running in extreme cold before, having completed a half marathon in Siberia.

Mr Richards took part in his most recent challenge to raise funds for the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), a charity that provides welfare support to all RAF serving and ex-serving personnel and their dependants.

Mr Richards expressed his gratitude to all those who supported his efforts allowing him to comfortably surpass his fundraising target.

Donations can still be made at www.justgiving.com/DougRichards-greenland.