A soldier took second place in a 135-mile race he ran in memory of his cousin – a doctor killed by the Taliban while helping desperate people in Afghanistan.

The Comet: Steven Muir took second place in the Cyprus Ultra Marathon in memory of his cousin Karen Woo.Steven Muir took second place in the Cyprus Ultra Marathon in memory of his cousin Karen Woo. (Image: Archant)

Steven Muir – who grew up in Stevenage and has been in the army since 2002 – ran in the Cyprus Ultra Marathon on Saturday, completing the course in 42 hours 33 minutes.

He raised £1,525 for the Karen Woo Foundation, smashing his target of £1,000 in the process.

Karen, who lived in Brixham Close in Stevenage, was killed in August 2010 while working with medical charity International Assistance Mission.

The 36-year-old had been part of an 11-strong team taking medical aid to villagers. The group was ambushed by gunmen with automatic weapons and Karen was shot twice. She was killed along with nine others of the mostly American team. One man survived.

Grant-giving charity the Karen Woo Foundation was set up in Karen’s memory, focusing on supporting projects in Afghanistan which provide healthcare to communities which have little or no access to basic medical provision.

Steven, who is currently stationed in Cyprus, said: “I ran the Cyprus Ultra 217km to test my limits for the Karen Woo Foundation because the support it gives to communities is life-saving.”

You can still support Steven and the Karen Woo Foundation at justgiving.com/ZedMuir.

For more about the charity, visit karenwoofoundation.org.