Job done - A year on from chemo, Joe Gibbons breaks three hours at New York Marathon

Joe Gibbons was undergoing chemotherapy just over a year ago and this afternoon he came home in the New York Marathon in under three hours.

Glenswilly native Joe, 38, a storeman at Curry’s electrical shop in Letterkenny, and completed the 26 miles and 385 yards in the Big Apple in a time of 2:52: 26.

With the help of his general manager at Curry’s, Martin Goldrick, they set up a GoFundMe last month to raise money for Cancer Care West Support Centre Donegal and Pieta. To date, it has raised over €20,000. "Job done," posted Joe on social media from New York after the marathon.

After being given the all-clear from lymphoma - a cancer of the glands - Joe got back to running with Milford Athletic Club. Previously, he had helped his local GAA club Glenswilly to success in the Intermediate championship in 2005 and would go onto win three Donegal SFC titles in 2011, 2013 and 2016.

To donate to Joe's New York Marathon GoFundMe please click here

In May of this year, he took part in the Belfast marathon, with his three sisters - Karen, Breda and Michelle - relaying the 26 miles and 385 yards between them and since then Joe has completed the Omagh and Galway half-marathons, the latter in a PB time of 77 minutes and 45 seconds, in October.

As well as competing in the marathon Joe and his wife Susanna are in New York to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. They have two sons, Jack, now eight, and six-year-old Oisin.