MORE than 40 members from Hartford Tennis Club came together to take part in a 24-hour tennis marathon.

The club’s coaches John Walsh, 46, and Jarrod Wood, 25, led the way in spectacular fashion by playing continually throughout the 24 hours being joined in hour-long slots by other players.

The marathon started at 4pm on Friday, March 20, and went until 4pm on Saturday, March 21.

The club head coach John thanked everybody who helped out with the event and said he was surprised at how well it went.

John said: “I did one about 20 years ago and to be honest this one didn’t seem as hard so I must be fitter than I thought.

“We’ve had a few members here that have been affected by cancer and we usually do two or three tournaments to raise funds each year but this was something different.

“We had no problems filling the slots, we had more than 40 different people turning up to play and people even turning up for the graveyard shifts. Then there were lots of turning up just to give us some support which really helped.

“We’d like to say a big thanks to people who helped out in their own way whether they played, donated or came along to support, without them it would not have been possible. It was great effort all around from the club.”

The event raised around £1,500 for Sport Relief with donations still being taken by the club.

To add to the total raised by making a donation, contact John on 07801 822855.