A painful dog bite was not enough to stop avid runner Howard Dimmock completing the gruelling London Marathon.
Just 48-hours after being mauled by an alsation dog in the street, Mr Dimmock, 58, ran the 26 miles in four-and-a-half hours.
Pain marathon - Howard Dimmock Picture: ROB BROWNE
The father-of-three was running his final training session when he was attacked by the dog - putting his eighth marathon attempt and a potential £1,400 of sponsorship money in jeopardy.
The IT technician, of Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff, fears a dangerous dog is still in the area which could launch a more serious attack.
He said: "I'd been training for four months and I was doing my last training run along Eastwood Road near the Befairs shops. I approached a man with two dogs on leashes.
"It happened so quickly - the alsation jumped up and put its jaws around my arm. I began screaming and hollering to the man who just said it wasn't his dog and he was sorry.
"I flagged down a car which fortunately stopped and the driver said he would give me a lift to A&E."
At the hospital, staff taped up Mr Briggs's arm and gave him antibiotics and a tetanus jab.
The injury was not enough to stop Mr Briggs running with friend Keith Porter who jogged on the side of the injured arm to protect it from accidental bumps from other runners.
Mr Briggs's run will raise around £1,400 for the Voluntary Service Overseas.
Published Tuesday, April 15, 2003
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