The Royal Gwent Hospital’s cardiac unit has been presented with a cheque for £2,500 by Machen Rotary Club president Howard Hughes, as a thank you for treating his wife.
The cheque was presented by Mr Hughes to cardiac consultant Dr Christoph Madler, who is based at the hospital, at a recent presentation evening.
Mr Hughes, 75, raised the money by successfully taking part in the New York Marathon held in November last year.
It was the second time Mr Hughes had completed the event – the first was 15 years ago when he was 60.
He had intended to run the race, which attracts around 50,000 runners, five years ago but unfortunately his wife Janet needed to go into hospital for a heart valve replacement operation.
As a thank you for the support and care his wife received while at the Royal Gwent, Mr Hughes decided to run the New York Marathon in aid of the hospital’s cardiac unit.
He said: “I first did the New York marathon 15 years ago and it was freezing cold. Last November it was very humid and it rained all day. It was very unpleasant.
“A marathon is a mind game really, as long as you have done sufficient training. It is about determination and saying ‘I won’t stop’ – especially when it gets particularly hard around the 15-mile mark.”
Last year’s New York Marathon was Mr Hughes’ fifth overall with his first 30 years ago. Since then he has raised approximately £10,000 for good causes.
Mr Hughes, who ran the marathon in around six hours, added that it is often the strong support at events that sees him to the finish line.
He said: “You can feel the adrenalin being released when you get a surge of support from the crowd.”