JUST a few local landslips in the Meili Snow Mountains were all that gave away clues that something had happened somewhere, as marathon runner Henry Hudson-Evans completed the 50k Shangri-la Ultra Marathon in the Himalayas on April 25.

Henry, 26, from Weston-Sub-Edge was only a few hundred miles from the Nepalese earthquake that has killed thousands of people and set off scores of avalanches on the mountain range.

He works as a shipbroker for Howe Robinson and Partners, in Singapore, and had signed up to run the high altitude marathon to raise money for Campden Home Nursing where his mother, Sarah, is co-chairman.

Mrs Hudson-Evans said as soon as she heard the news of the tragedy she checked where it was on the map and realised Henry was no where near danger.

"From my point of view you have a gut feeling for these sort of things and I didn't have that feeling so I wasn't concerned. I had checked the map," she said.

The marathon was on the China-Tibet border and took two days and three flights to get there.

The terrain is so tough runners have to carry food and water supplies and also an oxygen tank for emergency altitude sickness. Known locally as the Kawagarbo Mountains, the highest point was 3,767 metres and the 30-mile route took in steep climbs and inclines as well as forest, glaciers, rock cliffs, desert and rivers.

It was his first marathon and he spent weeks in training.

"My training included running up steep hills in the Singapore midday heat of 35-40C and around 80 per cent humidity. The long training runs have taken place at dawn in primary forests of the McRitchie National Park in Singapore. It’s good to get out early in the morning before the heat kicks in; the monkeys and the occasional snake are the only things to disturb you. It’s amazing to get back into the green from an otherwise very modern city. It’s a bit like Dover’s Hill is some ways, apart from fewer sheep," he quipped.

He completed the run in around 8hrs.50 and is now back in Singapore.

"It was an amazing experience. There were around 70 runners in my class, and I came 12th so I'm very pleased. It was terrible to hear the news of the earthquake. There were no signs where we were although there were some local landslides which perhaps could have been triggered by it.

"I'm back in Singapore now and looking forward to coming home in a month's time for a break and meet up with my Morris dancing team in Weston-Sub-Edge," said Henry.

He has raised around £1,200 so far for Campden Home Nursing which offers palliative home-care for people who are terminally ill.

"It's a brilliant small charity, run by a crack team of dedicated volunteers who rely on donations to keep on doing their wonderful work," he added.