CHRISTMAS came early for a keen runner when he won a Mercedes Smart e-bike, worth £2,500, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Brentford.

Thomas Eady had already notched a great time of 1.32.23 in the Ealing Half Marathon on September 28, but he had extra reason to celebrate when his name was picked at random from more than 4,000 finishers.

The Hanwell resident, 31, will be able to give his legs a well-earned rest on occasions, thanks to the battery-powered bike, which can cover as much as 62 miles in one charge.

Mr Eady said: “I’m looking forward to covering lots of miles around the streets of Ealing and beyond.”

Mercedes-Benz Brentford is to sponsor the race for a third year in 2015, having led off runners in September’s race in a B-Class pace car. Another bike will be up for grabs next year.

You can already enter at www.ealinghalfmarathon.com. Entry costs £34 for affiliated runners and £36 for unaffiliated. All finishers receive a medal.

For every entry received in December, the race team will be making a donation to good causes.

Beneficiaries will be the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter, which gives homeless people food and shelter during the winter, and A Mile in Her Shoes, a group which boosts the wellbeing and self-esteem of women at risk of homelessness by encouraging them to run.

For further details, visit www.ealinghalfmarathon.com Like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ealinghalf and follow @EalingHalf on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news about the Ealing Half Marathon.