More than 130 runners escaped to victory as they completed 26.2 miles in the UK's only marathon inside a prison.

There were 135 die hard marathon fans taking on the gruelling challenge of completing 55 laps around the corridors, gangways and prison yard at the Victorian former jail in Dorchester, Dorset.

Some got into the spirit by dressing as inmates or police officers.

The event, organised by Sussex Trail Events, saw runners tackle more than 9,000 steps, with some making it even more challenging by completing the route in the dark with head torches.

Organiser Jay McCardle said: "It went really well, we had 80 runners in the day marathon and 55 in the evening.

"We look for something a bit left-field - we have done a marathon in a multi-storey car park and on Southend Pier before.

"We have got a die-hard following. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it.

"You can run a marathon anywhere, but this is much more of a mental challenge than it is physical. There's 174 steps per lap and they have to do that 55 times so there is going to be some sore quads today."

Dorchester Prison closed in 2014 and was initially earmarked for redevelopment, but the project stalled over the burial of human remains in the grounds, including those of Martha Brown, the real-life inspiration for Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

She was the last woman to be hanged in public in Dorset, for the murder of her abusive husband, and her execution was witnessed by a young Hardy.

The prison received adult male and young adult male prisoners direct from the Crown Courts at Dorchester, Poole and Bournemouth and associated magistrates’ courts.

 

It operated as a Level four establishment and the population is made up of roughly half convicted prisoners, and half remanded inmates.

The prison which housed criminals, murderers and even held public executions is now a popular filming location for shows like Luther, Enola Holmes 2, and The Gold.

Equally, it is believed that the site may be haunted and is also used for ghost tours.