Exmouth RNLI’s newest volunteer tour guide, Jay King, ran 25k to raise important and much needed funds for the lifesaving charity.

On Saturday (April 3) Exmouth RNLI's newly recruited tour guide volunteer, Jay King, proved to the world that dinosaurs are capable of running long distances, especially if it’s to raise much needed funds for the charity that saves lives at sea.

Jay, aka Mr T Rex, ran 25 kilometres dressed as a dinosaur, raising a few eyebrows and causing much excitement as he ran around the streets of Exmouth and Budleigh Salteron collecting on his long and arduous journey for this very worthy cause.

He started his run at 9.00am and came over the finish line at 1.50pm, setting a new and very respectable world record for a T Rex dinosaur of just 4 hours and 50 minutes - the first time the record has been broken in 68 million years.

Supported throughout by his cycling human friend, David Nelson, the dinosaur’s route took him along the seafront, through Exmouth Town Centre, Phear Park, Brixington, Littleham, through to Budleigh seafront, its high street and then back through Knowle into Exmouth via Douglas Avenue and some repeats of Exmouth seafront to make up the distance.

Jay, whose current total raised is currently £864, said “I’d completed a lot of training for the event and, on the day, it was ideal ‘dino’ running conditions - dry, not too windy and a perfect temperature.

"I was amazed at the amount of support I received on my run round, people hooting their car horns, stopping to make donations and have photos taken and so on.

"I was very pleased to have raised such a significant sum for Exmouth RNLI that far exceeded my expectations and I’d like to thank all those who contributed to help make my efforts so worthwhile.”

The charity, whose volunteer lifesavers help people in difficulty in the sea and the River Exe, relies on donations to keep going.

People can still donate towards Mr T Rex’s noble fundraiser by going to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rexthedinosaur