TWO brothers have reflected on their seven marathons in a week hiking challenge, which was a “long slog” after one of them got an infected foot.

John and David Ray, from Southampton, challenged themselves to walk the length and breadth of Hampshire and Sussex, completing the challenge on Sunday.

The brothers walked 184 miles in total and, although the walk was full of beautiful views, it was also a “long slog”.

John, 46, a hotel night manager, told The Argus: “It went really well. We had a few problems on the way, I got an infection in my foot so it was a long slog but really good.

“The hardest part was coming from Crawley down to Brighton because there was a lot of narrow country roads. Obviously, yesterday knowing we were so close to the end too.

The Argus: John Ray (left) and David Ray (right).John Ray (left) and David Ray (right).

The pair walked past sites such Winchester Cathedral, Devil’s Dyke, Brighton Pier and Arundel Castle before arriving back in Southampton on Sunday.

They were fundraising for the Burnt Chef Project, a charity that focuses on the mental health of hospitality workers, something which John said he has suffered from personally.

He said: “We’re £70 away from our target of £1,000. I’m not the fittest person, I’ve never really done any exercise or anything like that, so it was a massive challenge for us.

“I suffered with mental health myself, so it was a personal challenge as well that I could achieve it.”

John said he could not have done it without his older brother David, 54, who is an army veteran.

“I definitely surprised myself," John added. "By the end of day two, I didn’t even know if I was going to get through it.

“I couldn’t have done without my brother, I’m glad he was with me. I’m glad he decided to join me.”

The Argus: John and David Ray with Alan Robins

Alan Robins, mayor of Brighton, joined the brothers and waved them off as they carried on their journey from Brighton on Friday.

John added that he definitely wants to come back to Brighton with his wife for a more relaxing visit.

He said: “Already me and my wife, we’re already planning to come back. I want to go on the i360. It was actually the first time I’d been to Brighton. My brother had been a couple of times.

“I want to go down the lanes and experience all of that.”

If you would like to know more about John and David’s fundraising mission, you can visit their page here.

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