HE MIGHT be retired, but Basingstoke doctor Keith Thomson is certainly not slowing down.

Just a few weeks ago Dr Keith was in The Gazette having completed a 55-mile challenge through the Scottish countryside for three charities.

Now, the former consultant anaesthetist at Basingstoke hospital has run 10k for a charity close to his heart.

Dr Keith took part in the Vitality British London 10k with Basingstoke midwife Jackie Perry Smith and Winchester nurse Sarah Hales, managing to complete the distance in one hour and 55 seconds.

He said: “I hoped to break the hour but there were about 25,000 other runners and parts of the course were very congested, so one had to be very careful overtaking slower runners.”

The trio managed to raise £1,750 for Mercy Ships - the world’s largest charitable floating hospital which takes free medical care to some of the world’s poorest people.

Dr Keith has volunteered on board the ship in the past.

The money raised from the 10k race will go towards the cost of surgery for 600 young women on board the Africa Mercy in Madagascar.

Dr Keith said: “These women are suffering from vesico vaginal fistula (VVF) which is a permanent hole in the bladder continuously leaking urine caused by prolonged obstructive labour with no access to caesarean section.”

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/drkeithrunslondon10k/.