The runner said he wanted to do something different this year

Mr Hodgson, from Llanelltyd near Dolgellau, completed the course in sweltering conditions in a time of four hours and 38 minutes.

The 57-year-old ran 262 miles from his north Wales home to reach the capital before starting Sunday's race.

Dressed in his orange wig, he said he was "fooling and clowning" all the way.

The runner, who hopes to have raised more than �3,500 for the deaf blind charity Sense, had run through the back lanes of Wales and along the Grand Union Canal to reach London ahead of the marathon itself.

He had taken up the challenge to do something different this year, after running eight successive London marathons.

Shin splints

He said he had picked up an injury on the run across the UK, so his time for the marathon was not as good as it might otherwise have been.

"It's very warm but I love the heat. I lived in Africa for six years," said Mr Hodgson as he was more than half way around the course through the capital.

"I've got the orange wig but I'm just one of the crowd today. There are thousands of us."

The runner, a member of the Meirionnydd running club, has leg pains and shin splints but is otherwise in good spirits at the end of his mighty challenge.

The club are celebrating in London on Sunday night and are then returning by train to Dolgellau on Monday.