"THERE was plenty of pain along the way but it was nothing compared to what our mate went through."

Tommy Martyn's tweet after the team of eight walkers from the Steve Prescott Foundation completed a 900 mile trek from Lands End to John O' Groats tonight was typical of the emotion that drove them on throughout this mighty challenge.

It had been the first extreme endurance event staged by the charity since the death of its founder, Steve, last November at the age of 39 after a long, courageous and truly inspiring battle with a rare form of abdominal cancer.

Driven on by the memory of Steve's heroism - embodied by his relentless drive and ambition to complete challenges many thought were crazy in the face of illness and suffering - there was no way they would allow the physical pain and tiredness prevent them reaching their target.

The team was made up of ex Saints players Martyn, Paul Sculthorpe, Lee Briers, a former football referee and cancer survivor Mark Halsey, SPF chairman Mike Denning, committee member Ade Cunliffe and State of Mind Trustee Phil Cooper.

Ex-rugby player Jimmy Gittins, who is paraplegic after breaking his neck playing, completed the challenge by using a specially designed hand cycle.

They completed their journey this evening, ahead of target, after 11 days on the road, prompting a wave of congratulatory messages on social media from the charity's supporters and players from across rugby league.

The Foundation believes the challenge, dubbed the LEJOG for Precky, will raise in excess of £25,000.

Full report to follow