VERNON Kay broke down in tears as he received a heartfelt message from a radio listener spurring him through his ultramarathon challenge.

The broadcaster, 49, is pushing his body to the limit for Children in Need by running a staggering 115 miles.

The epic fundraiser ends today in his hometown of Bolton.

Prior to the last leg of his journey, Radio 2's Richie Anderson surprised him with a message from an isolated listener.

The voice note began: "Hello Vernon it's Barbara. Now, I just wanted to send you lots and lots of encouragement on running your ultra, ultramarathon. Wow."

At this point, Vernon, who was sitting in his neon running gear, raised his hand to his face and sobbed.

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Barbara continued: "But I know you can do it. Now, if it gets tough just think of all the smiling faces of the children you're helping. I am so proud of you. Now, I wish I could be there to cheer you on but I shall be there in spirit. So just lift up those feet and keep going. I am sending you lots of hugs, take care."

Richie asked visibly upset Vernon if he was OK, to which he replied: "No. But let me explain. That's Barbara who wrote me a letter after I had been on air for a month and she said, 'thank you for bringing an old lady into the light'. It has had a massive effect on me that letter. That's probably one of the most heartfelt letters anyone could ever write.

"Barbara represents so many people in Great Britain who feel like they're either homebound or just a little bit trapped. When she wrote that letter… all we do on the radio is talk and we try and relate to people. God bless you Barbara, thank you very much for your message it means a lot."

Vernon, who took over from radio legend Ken Bruce earlier this year, been battling knee pain and fatigue during the challenge.

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He revealed he had a tight IT band – the tissue that runs the length of the outside of the leg – earlier in the week.

He previously told radio co-star Zoe Ball: “It was on and off the sleep. I woke up at half past five in pain, I was sleeping wonky on the dodgy hip.”

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