Picture 24 Jeremy Hulme, Chief Executive of SPANA, ably supported by Simon Pope, Director of Communications, and Peter Muffet, donkey running expert, achieved something amazing on Sunday.

They completed the London Marathon dressed as fully laden donkeys.

Their amazing costumes acted as a graphic reminder of the enormous burdens that working animals have to carry every day of their lives.

Many mules and donkeys complete a marathon on a daily basis. Even though Jeremy, Simon and Peter have only done it once (well to be fair, Peter has also done the Great North Run dressed as a donkey so he knew what he was up against), it is a fantastic accomplishment that left me looking on in admiration.

They are still a little short of their financial target, so if you want to show your appreciation of what working animals do every day why not send a little financial love their way via their justgiving page?

You can read more about their training (and see just how dark it was when they finished) on their blog.