A MAN who fled war-torn Syria ran the London marathon to help refugees who need access to mental health support.

Karim from Reading managed to run the gruelling 42.1 mile stretch on Sunday, October 3 raising more than £6,000 to help mental health support for Syrians.

He suffers with post traumatic stress disorder himself, so running the marathon was for the "millions" of Syrians who don't have access to mental health services.

READ MORE: The 'inspirational' reason why this Reading refugee is running a half-marathon

He said: "I ran the London Marathon. I ran it for the millions of displaced Syrians who unlike myself, don’t have the privilege of access to mental health services. As a sufferer of PTSD, this cause meant more to me than you could imagine. I’m so grateful to those who donated."

Reading Refugee Support Group praised Karim for his efforts in running the raise for such a worthy cause.

ALSO READ: Forbury Gardens terror attacker Khairi Saadallah to appeal jail sentence

They said: "Well done, Karim for being such a hero."