After 2,620 gruelling miles of tough competitive running, Cumbria’s 47-year-old marathon miracle Gary McKee has achieved his dream.

As he comfortably crossed the London Marathon finishing line, Cleator Moor-based Gary looked astonishingly fresh – for a man who had just completed his 100th 26.2-mile race in as many days, raising cash for Macmillan Cancer Support.

His astonishing achievement was inspired by the memory of his late father Victor, and how the charity helped the family through his illness.

Victor passed away from an unrelated illness in 2003.

Gary has devoted himself to honouring Victor’s memory in a way that makes a practical difference to others affected by the illness, and his growing army of fans – including celebrity journalist Piers Morgan – took to social media yesterday to sing his praises.

Piers said of the dad-of-three: “This guy’s something else. Good luck Gary – you magnificent lunatic.”

Dame Kelly Holmes also mentioned him.

The person in charge of the Macmillan Cancer Support Twitter account took it one step further. When asked who Gary McKee is, they replied: “He’s a bit like your favourite wizards, magicians, and superheroes from childhood stories, multiplied by a million.”

A more down-to-earth view came from Gary’s wife Sue, 41, who said: “He’s got amazing mental strength and he wouldn’t think of not finishing something when he’s set his mind on achieving a goal.

“He’s done it in memory of his dad, who would have been 80 if he was alive today. It was him that inspired Gary.”

Sue pointed to the “amazing support” that Sellafield worker Gary has had from his family, friends, sponsors, and the local community. Despite the gruelling last 100 days, Gary finished the race in three hours and 32 minutes.

Sue said: “He looked as fresh as a daisy. He’s now gone off with his friends to celebrate – he hasn’t had a pint since November.”

Meanwhile, Gary’s JustGiving fundraising page confirmed yesterday that his effort has raised more than £62,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

As well as being watched by his family – including sons 12-year-old Alfie and Beau, nine – Gary was also cheered on by Sue MacMcDonald, a Cumbria-based fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She said: “We probably had the biggest team in the marathon. But Gary has been amazing. Nobody should face cancer alone so it’s brilliant when people raise funds and it’s vital that they raise awareness.”

Running alongside Gary were his nephew Ryan Doran, 27, and the husband of his niece, Gary Barwise, 35.

In an earlier comment, Gary said: “I wanted to do something in my dad’s memory and thought back to that day when we first found out he had cancer.

“It hasn’t been easy but when it gets hard, I think of the promise I made to people affected by cancer – that they’re not fighting alone and I’m fighting with them.

“I’m not a superhero, I’m just an ordinary bloke trying to make a difference.”

Among the other Cumbrians running were brothers Jon and Marc Lewthwaite.

They ran as part of a team raising funds for Carlisle and Eden Mind and in memory of Jon’s friend Ben Osborne who died in 2014.

“We didn’t know Ben was suffering and his death came as a massive shock,” said Jon, 31. “Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a stigma around mental health so people don’t want to open up. Ben was a fantastic person, loved by everybody.”

Also running for Carlisle Eden Mind were Tracey Graham, Juliet Gray, and Justine Carruthers.

Stuart Buchanan raised money through his London Marathon run for Team Evie, a charity set up by Great Broughton couple Jill and Greg Johnston after their six-month-old daughter Evie died in September 2015. It has raised tens of thousands of pounds to help the families of other sick children.

A member of Cumberland Athletic Club Stuart, Stuart, 56, from High Harrington, Workington, said: “It was an absolutely fantastic experience. The crowd is like nowhere else. I reckon they improve your time by about 10 minutes.”