AN Alton woman took on the task of running a full marathon on a treadmill to raise money for the Chase Hospice Care for Children. Mandy Wilson, a former fitness instructor and co- owner of Wilson's taxis, completed the marathon in the impressive time of four hours and 43 minutes, beating her previous best time of a marathon run by seven minutes. Following the death of a friend's young son two years ago, Mrs Wilson decided to raise funds for the Chase Hospice, a charity that aims to provide help and support for families with children and young people that are terminally ill. Mrs Wilson, who ran the marathon at Alton Leisure Centre, told The Herald: "The Chase really supported my friend and family through a very difficult time, and I really wanted to give something back to them. "I wanted to run the London marathon to raise money as a 'thank you' to the care home, and to raise the profile of their good work. "Unfortunately, I will be in Greece for the London marathon and so running the same distance on the treadmill seemed like the next best thing. "I have been training hard, so I was quietly confident that I could do it, but it was a mental challenge to run for so long in the same spot. "I'll had a running buddy on the treadmill beside me, and all my friends and family were there to cheer me on - so I had a lot of encouragement to get through it." Mandy met Lisa Cavanagh and her family six years ago, when she began taking the children to school in her taxi. Lisa and Mandy became close friends, and as Lisa's son Luke and her daughter Amy became ill, Mandy could see the support the Chase provided for all the family. Mandy told The Herald: "Luke and Amy were ill at the same time, but as Amy recovered, Luke got an infection and could not get better. "The Chase were fantastic support to Lisa and her whole family, offering them respite care and an understanding ear." Luke Butler was just four years old when he lost his battle against an immune system disorder. His mother, Lisa Cavanagh told The Herald: "Luke had a bone marrow transplant, but shortly afterwards contracted a fungal disease. Because his immune system was already weak, he couldn't shake it off and sadly passed away. "I don't know what we would have done without the Chase Hospice. They offered us such great support throughout Luke's illness and even now two years on, I know I could pick up the phone and there would be someone there I could talk to. "I would like to say a huge thank you to Mandy because it's such a wonderful thing that she's doing. I' was there on the day, with my family to support her and cheer her on." James Burrows, a fitness instructor at Kinetica gym said: "Mandy did really well to achieve the time that she did. Running on the treadmill is an unnatural way of running, because as it moves backwards, your legs are pushed back too. Also, the lack of distractions and to stay in the same place, would prove to be very mentally challenging. "As Mandy trained for the marathon, she would have prepared both mentally and physically, and it obviously worked." Also supporting Mandy's bid, was the Wheatsheaf pub in the Market Square. A mini-Olympics event was held on March 22, which raised over £215 for the cause. There was a great turnout at the event of over 150 people. Competitive events included a yard of ale, hop scotch and a tug of war. There were great prizes on offer, and everyone took part. The Wheatsheaf Partnership has expressed thanks to all who helped and in particular the sponsors, including Mike Frost Carpets and Giles Insurance. Collection tins for the Chase hospice are available at The Wheatsheaf, Wilson's taxis and at the kiosk of the train station, or alternatively please visit their website at http://www.chasecare.org.uk">www.chasecare.org.uk