Two friends have completed a gruelling “year of pain” to raise almost £5,000 for the Surrey Air Ambulance.

Mechanical engineers Chris Hicks and Steve Breslin, who work at KBR in Leatherhead, took part in a total of 12 challenges, including an iron man event - a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a marathon - which the pair agreed was the toughest test of all.

Mr Hicks, 32, from Tongham, said: “It was one of the best feelings of my life, having finished the last event.

“There was a huge amount of relief and happiness that we’d completed it all.”

The pair began their extreme test of fitness with The Riot Runner – a seven-mile cross county run last January, before completing one challenge each month including a half marathon, a legs of steel bike ride and the swim.

Mr Breslin, 27, from Clapham, said: “Never again! The combination of doing all the events month after month was not easy.

“We both already had a level of fitness before we started but had to build it up so we ran 50 miles a week.

“I also cycled a 35-mile round trip to and from work each day but picked up an injury through too much cycling.”

If you would like to make a donation to the Air Ambulance please call 01622 833833.