AN 86-year-old ultramarathoner has completed his mission to deliver 31 cakes to 31 care homes on foot in July — clocking up just under 200km.

Paul Youd, from Monkton Heathfield, walked to 31 care homes in the Taunton area in 31 days to deliver his handmade chocolate cakes.

The former civil servant and baker undertook the challenge to raise money for Viva!, a Bristol-based vegan campaigning charity. 

Paul said: "Care homes are the most unregarded profession in the country, they do the most important job and get paid pittance. So I thought, why not chocolate cake for these guys?

"I wanted to do something between my ultramarathons, I've got two coming up at the end of August and I thought what can I do to challenge myself? I need an incentive to get out there. 

"The idea is that I'm fundraising for Viva!, and people donated and guessed how many km this challenge took me to win a hamper — walking each day to care homes including St Margaret's Hospice [Bishop's Hull] and those in Wiveliscombe and Wellington."

Paul, who hasn't taken a bus since Covid, went vegan in the early 2000s and found the painful arthritis that stopped him from using his hands "disappeared" after changing his diet.

He said: "There's an expectation that when you get to 70 you can't do anything, you've just got to sit in a chair and do crosswords or something. We've got to combat that.

"I want to show people you can be healthy, fit, and strong into old age as a vegan. I just put one foot in front of the other that's all I do."

Paul, who calls himself "a bit of a showoff", even gets down and does 25 press-ups at every stop on his ultramarathons "just because he can", and he has no plans to stop now.

He has two challenges on the go; completing 1,000,000 press-ups between ages 80 and 90 [he does about 10,000 a month], and completing 100 marathons before his 100th birthday — he's currently finished 16.

Paul features in the campaign documentary 'I Could Never Go Vegan', by Thomas Pickering, with the crew following him as he completed a 50K, the SWC50 Loop from Dunster to Porlock and then Dunkery Beacon.

Paul's last cake delivery of the challenge was at Gotton Manor Care Home in Monkton Heathfield, on Wednesday, July 31, where staff called him "an incredible man and an inspiration".

Home manager Janine Marshall said: "What's Paul's doing is absolutely amazing.

"When he turned up this morning with his cake and smile on his face it was so heartwarming that people would even think of doing these things for care homes.

"It's very nice to be recognised, that it is hard work that we do here and not always the best paid, but very rewarding."

Paul, who turns 87 next month, thanks his wife Teresa for "tolerating me and being a good support".

The ultramarathoner has the goal of raising £500 for Viva! through his 31 cakes in 31 days challenge, and has so far raised £281. The competition to guess the distance Paul covered has closed, but donations can still be made here.

The ingredients for the cakes Paul baked were donated by Lesser Litter in Taunton.