A woman from the Isle of Man has completed an endurance challenge in order to raise money for the Friends of Robert Owen House.

Maria Johnston completed the Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 challenge in 16 hours and 14 minutes, while so far raising £747 for the Isle of Man charity from a £500 target.

It begins in the village of Malham, with trails taking in Malham cove, the Dry Valley of Watlowes, Malham tarn, Fountains Fell, Janet’s foss and the Yorkshire peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.

The distance is 50 miles long and includes 2593 metres of ascent, with an overall cut off time of within 18 hours.

Speaking about the challenge, Maria said: ‘I felt incredibly nervous in the lead up to the event but soon settled down once I got going.

‘The past six months of hours spent on Sky Hill, North Barrule and Snaefell paid off.

‘The weather was challenging but the advantage of mist and fog is you can't see the climbs that lie ahead. I only ever set out to finish within the cut off of 18 hours, so to have over an hour and a half in hand is really pleasing.’

The Friends of Robert Owen House, which Maria has raised money for through the challenge, provides overnight accommodation for relatives or carers of patients who find themselves in the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, often for life-saving heart, lung or thoracic surgery.

Maria said: ‘As a trustee and someone whose family has used the facilities at Robert Owen House, it is a charity that is close to my heart.

‘The house comprises of 17 rooms and a mix of single, twin and family rooms, 15 of which are en-suite with a charge of £30 per night. It is a home from home set up at a very stressful and worrying time.’