Pep Marsala of Dom’s Auto services, put down his monkey wrench and laced up his running shoes in an amazing 150km charity run challenge throughout May.

Giuseppe (Pep) Marsala, who runs the vehicle repair shop with his dad, raised £600 for the Sue Ryder St. Johns Hospice in Moggerhanger.

A self-confessed ‘novice runner’, Pep clocked up the epic 150k via road and treadmill runs.

He said: “The support from my customers, friends and family was amazing. People just kept turning up to give me donations, or they would donate through our Just Giving page.”

The original plan was to run ‘100k in May’ but speedy Pep smashed this by mid-month and the donations kept coming.

He said: “I was posting about my journey via social media and received such lovely feedback. It motivated me to get up and out every day. Once I finished the 100km, I didn’t want to stop, I had to give a bit more.”

Pep thanked his customers for their support and generosity with donations.

Charlotte Griggs, Community Fundraiser at the hospice said: “Pep went above and beyond to ensure he didn’t disappoint his customers who were so kind and generous, supporting him in his feat.”

She thanked Pep’s family for their ongoing support and everyone who donated. The money will help the St. John’s hospice “continue to be there when it matters for families going through the most difficult times of their lives.”

This was not Pep’s first fundraiser. Inspired by family connections and his dad’s donations to the hospice, he ran 50km in July 2020, raising £700 for Sue Ryder.

“My uncle and gran were cared for at the hospice, as well as the secretary of our garage, who worked with us for many years, from when I was a kid. It’s a place that sits very close to our hearts,” he said.

The hospice provides expert and compassionate palliative care to people with life-limiting conditions. It also supports their families. They also offer community services for people who preferred to be cared for at home.

You can still donate to Pep’s ‘JustGiving’ page by visiting here.

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