A TEAM from the region successfully completed an infamous challenge set by Gurkha soldiers at the weekend.

Alex Phillips, Alex Collins and Rachel Carter, all from Richmond, North Yorkshire, along with Leanne Brown, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham, raised more than £2,000 for Oxfam and the Gurkha Welfare Trust by completing the Trailwalker course over the South Downs, in West Sussex.

All four work at Savers Health and Beauty, in Darlington.

The 63-mile challenge was originally set up by the Gurkha regiment as a training exercise to test endurance and encourage teamwork.

Teams can walk or run, day or night but must go through every checkpoint together and observe the 30-hour time limit.

Miss Phillips, 19, said her team did well to finish in 28 hours and 49 minutes.

"At 2am on Sunday, when it had been raining non-stop for 14 hours, we all looked at each other wondering where we were going to get the energy from to finish.

"It was the hardest thing I've done in my life - but you don't realise how strong you are."