A man from Bury who had major heart surgery and was told to stop running has completed a half marathon to back the "amazing work" of a close cause.

Mike Tyburski was having ongoing heart symptoms and collapsed while he was on a run.

Then in October last year he had surgery to have his aortic valve replaced.

Although he was told to stop running, he was given a new lease of life and was advised he could go out on runs again.

Mike’s family has a history of congenital heart conditions and the family are avid supporters of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as a result.

Mike also lost his mum to heart failure in 2022. She had her aortic valve replaced in her sixties as well as a triple heart bypass.

On Sunday, May 26, Mike, 55, who works in property maintenance, completed the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run half marathon with a personal best time and raised more than £300 for the BHF.

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On crossing the finish line, Mike said: “Taking part in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run for the BHF was such a fantastic challenge and an incredible experience.

“The atmosphere and support around the course was wonderful and it was amazing having so many people cheering me on!

“The research that the BHF does makes such a difference to the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.

“I’m proud that I’m doing as much as I can to support their amazing work and their partnership with the AJ Bell Great Run Series, to help fund the next big scientific breakthrough.” 

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BHF partnership manager Chloe Beevers added: “It’s fantastic to see Team BHF’s courage and determination in helping us reach our partnership fundraising goal which will aid lifesaving research.

“Without the dedication of our team of BHF runners taking part in the AJ Bell Great Run Series events, and the commitment of people like our BHF fundraisers, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has already broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.  

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see over 900 BHF runners take on such an amazing challenge to help save and improve lives.”