THE TORFAEN MP has completed the #516 challenge, raising money for two charities in the process, with a month to spare.

Nick Thomas-Symonds signed for the 516km athletic challenge earlier in the year and chose to support the Bowel Cancer UK and Motor Neurone Disease charities.

Although the challenge allows participants to run, walk, swim or row, the MP ran 516km – the equivalent of running the Afon Lwyd trail more than 20 times – in 11 months.

He completed the task on Wednesday, November 22 – a month and nine days before the deadline of Sunday, December 31.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “I am thrilled to have completed the #516 challenge and thoroughly enjoyed pushing myself to run the 516 kilometres required to complete it.

“The #516 challenge was designed to raise awareness and money for Bowel Cancer and MND, both are charities that I feel passionately about and indeed have supported for many years.”

Figures from the Motor Neurone Disease charity says there are 199 people living with the condition in Wales, and of that number, 132 reside in south Wales.

While Bowel Cancer UK statistics reveal that nearly 16,000 people die each year from the disease, making it the second-largest cancer killer across the country.