SOLDIERS from York serving in Iraq have gone beyond the call of duty by testing their fitness to the limit in a gruelling charity challenge.

Members of 2 Signal Regiment set themselves the target of running, cycling and rowing the distance between York and Baghdad, where they have been deployed for the past six months.

The 26 soldiers, who completed the epic challenge on gym equipment at their camp in Baghdad, had to cover about seven miles each per day in order to reach the 2,620-mile target in 15 days. Their efforts have raised 3,600 US dollars, which is about £2,300, to be split between Martin House Children’s Hospice, in Boston Spa, and St George’s Anglican Church, in Baghdad.

Now the troops are counting down the days before leaving Iraq to return to their families and friends in York, where the regiment is based at Imphal Barracks, in Fulford Road.

On June 4, they will take part in a homecoming parade through the city centre, ending in Museum Gardens, where they will be awarded operational medals.

Lance Corporal Craig Chuck, 23, who is looking forward to being reunited with his fiancée, Susan Perry, said: “This challenge was an appropriate way to complete what has been a memorable and rewarding tour of Iraq.

“Personally, I found it very hard work, as it was difficult to find time to get the miles in when we had a great deal of work on.

“Everybody put a lot of effort into completing the task at hand and really came through to pull it off.

“Thoughts of the bravery of the people who we were running for made motivation to complete the task easy.” St George’s Church provides children in Baghdad with food, medical care, a safe playground and education.

It has no government funding and relies on donations from coalition forces and local people to keep it going.

At Christmas, members of 2 Signals donated most of their welfare packages to the children.

Over the past six months, the regiment has been working around the clock to provide communications for the senior British military representative in Baghdad and his staff.

When they leave at the end of the month, they will be among the last British troops to withdraw from Iraq.