A teenager has raised close to £1,500 after braving the snowy conditions and completing the Cancer Research UK Winter Run.

Ryan Donnelly covered 10km in the testing conditions and sub-zero temperatures as Storm Darcy hit south Essex.

The 15-year-old had spent a number of weeks preparing for the fundraising venture and was not willing to let the heavy snow curtail his efforts.

Ryan, a Beauchamps High School pupil, smashed his target of donating £300 to Cancer Research UK, with his current total now nearly five times that amount.

Robert Donnelly, 43, admits he is overjoyed with his son’s fundraising efforts in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “We are really proud of Ryan, particularly considering we initially told him to aim for £300.

“The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a lot of people having money issues, so we were asking people to only donate a maximum of £5 to sponsor Ryan, but he is on the cusp of reaching £1,500 and that is a fantastic achievement.

“He wanted to complete the 10km in a quick time but the snowy conditions meant that went out of the window and he took 51 minutes.”

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Ryan, a keen footballer and member of the Wickford & Billericay Boxing Club, was keen to raise money for Cancer Research UK due to it being a charity close to his heart. Being a member of the Young Twinning Association also allowed Ryan to welcome donations from far and wide.

Robert, of Maitland Road, Wickford, added: “All families are affected by cancer, including ours, so Cancer Research UK is a charity Ryan wanted to support.

“He ran a competitive 10km with the Young Twinning Association last summer, so when the Cancer Research UK Winter Run came up he wanted to get involved.

“It’s a difficult time to raise money for charity, but he got a lot of support from the likes of Germany and France.”

However, Ryan had visual difficulties during the run.

Robert admitted: “The snow was going into his eyes, so he was struggling to open them.

“I was driving alongside him and he asked me to go home and get his sunglasses.

“He looked odd running in the snow with sunglasses on, but they were needed.”

To donate, visit virtualwinterrun.co.uk/fundraisers/ryandonnelly/virtual-winter-run.