AN EPIC three-day ski-athon was successfully completed on Sunday 1st November.

Among those taking part was Arctic explorer Antony Jinman who helped launch the event in Drake Circus on Friday and completed a four hour stint yesterday.

Organised by the Drake Foundation and Antony Jinman, the event challenged the public to ski 600 miles in three days on cross trainers supplied by Nuffield Gym on the first floor of the mall, near Marks and Spencer.

Mr Jinman, a govenor of the Drake Foundation, has an ambition to be the first British explorer to ski across Greenland and to the North and South Poles in just 12 months, and has dedicated the last three years to training.

Earlier this year, the 28-year-old skiied 550km (342 miles) across Greenland’s ice cap, one of five successful expeditions he has undertaken in support of his school outreach work this year.

Drake Foundation CEO Steve Davis said: “It’s been absolutely fantastic, we’ve had some really good support from the public.

“We had some great raffle prizes and Plymstock School have been fantastic, they’ve raised £700 themselves and done the equivalent of three marathons this morning.”

Students from Plymstock School, who picked the foundation as their chosen charity, got off to a blazing start on Friday, notching up more than 125 miles by 1pm, many wearing fancy dress.

The charity is working in partnership with the Devon Community Foundation on the Plymouth Grassroots Challenge, which has so far given £150,000 of grants to around 50 voluntary and community groups in the Plymouth area.

With the public’s help, the charity plans to provide an additional £200,000 in grants by March 2011.