A Carlisle bus driver completed a rapid turnaround last week as he finished marathons in Boston and London to raise money for charity.

Damian Rys qualified for the world-famous Boston Marathon for the first time this year but also wanted to take part in the London Marathon for the second successive year. 

He was raising money for Carlisle Eden Mind and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, two charities that are close to his heart. 

News and Star: Damian represented the Border Harriers running club in BostonDamian represented the Border Harriers running club in Boston (Image: Supplied)

To challenge himself even further, Damian also completed the UK marathon on Sunday, April 22 wearing his Stagecoach uniform, to raise awareness of the lack of mental health conversations in the bus driver community. 

He said: "It's been a busy week. There was a heatwave in Boston and everybody struggled, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the experience. The love of running they have there is unreal. London was great too and I'm very happy with my times."

Damian targeted a time of under three hours in both marathons and despite contending with the heatwave in Boston and the bus driver uniform in London, he finished with times of 2.59.47 and 2.59.55. 

He added: "Running with the uniform was tough. The first 15 miles were ok but then it started getting heavy and uncomfortable. Surprisingly, there were lots of people shouting 'go on Stagecoach' and that gave me an extra boost."

News and Star: Damian holding his two medalsDamian holding his two medals (Image: Supplied)

So far, Damian has raised over £300 for Carlisle Eden Mind and nearly £200 for MND, with a further donation expected from Stagecoach.

He said: "I'm really happy. Every penny counts. People were supporting me and supporting two important causes. Knowing that gave me a massive boost, especially in London when I was hitting hard times. It was a dream come true to run in Boston, being a part of 30,000 people who qualified was an incredible experience. I didn't expect the mental fight between me and my body in London, but I wasn't just running for myself, and that spurred me on."

Although he has some sore muscles to contend with, Damian will be back behind the wheel in Carlisle on Wednesday.