SKATING around an ice rink can be tiring – just ask a group of fundraisers who completed a marathon session on the slippery surface.

A total of 32 ice skaters, some in fancy dress, completed 270 laps of the rink at Planet Ice, at Basingstoke Leisure Park, to raise funds for Sport Relief.

The 26.2-mile challenge was thought up by Rob Ronan, of Oakland Road, Whitchurch, who plays ice hockey at the arena’s stick-and-puck sessions.

The 40-year-old customer services manager said: “I had an idea to do 10 miles and then after talking to a few guys I play hockey with, it grew to become a marathon.

“The majority of people completed it, and it took around three hours. It was very tiring and the hardest thing I have ever done.”

He added that the laps were all in anti-clockwise direction, putting pressure on his left hip and leg.

The rink was closed to other skaters while the challenge took place, and the lap of the rink was marked by cones.

Among the fundraisers who took part were one dressed in a hockey goalie outfit, two teenage mutant ninja turtles, and a superman.

Around £450 was raised on the night, although everyone who took part also raised their own sponsorship money. The grand total has yet to be counted but Mr Ronan hopes it will pass the £3,000 mark.