An autistic runner from St Albans has completed the Great North Run in aid of a specialist charity.

Jethro Offemaria, 34, tackled the gruelling half marathon in Newcastle on Sunday (September 8), running in aid of the National Autistic Society, a leading charity that has supported him since 2009.

He took on the 13.1-mile endeavour alongside members of the St Albans Striders, the group he runs with every Tuesday night.

Jethro says that his hobby has a calming effect on his mental health, as he explains: "Running keeps my mind stable and reduces my anger by keeping me calm and relaxing my nerves."

On the run, he says: "It went very well, the first few kilometres I ran, before jogging and then finished with fast walking."

He completed the marathon in a time of 3:32:11.

A self-described 'superfan' of the Eurovision Song Contest, Jethro listens to hits from the contest to relax and motivate him while he runs.

His current favourite is Rim Tim Tagi Dim, the Swedish entry that came second in this year's contest.

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Jethro first ran the Great North Run back in 2009, before a series of mental health struggles kept him away from the track.

Between 2011 and 2019 he was institutionalised at a string of mental health hospitals in Harrow, Royston and Bradford.

It was during that final stay in Bradford that he began walking and running again, completing last year's London Marathon after being discharged from hospital.

Jethro was diagnosed with autism at the age of three in his native Philippines, and says that the National Autism Society will always be close to his heart.

Turning his eye to the future, Jethro says he is hoping to represent the Striders and the Society in next year's Great South Run, staged in Portsmouth.

He joined the Striders in 2016 before the mental health relapse that saw him return to hospital.

After re-joining upon his return to St Albans, the Striders have helped him train for events such as the Great North Run, as well as providing much-needed camaraderie.