Thaindian News

London, Apr 20 (ANI): A businessman in Britain is set to run 66 ultra-marathons in 66 days to help raise 1 million pounds for a charity.

Andy McMenemy, 50, the son of a soldier, is due to complete the 36th of his massive runs at the historic Iffley Road running track in Oxford, where he will be met by Sir Roger Bannister, who is the first man to run a mile in under four minutes at the venue.

Bannister had been a 25-year-old medical student when he ran the miracle mile in May 1954 - completing the distance in a breathtaking 3mins 59.4 seconds.

An ultra-marathon is 50km, or 31.7miles - 5.5miles longer than a conventional 26-mile marathon. The current world record is 52 ultra-marathons in 52 days.

McMenemy is running 66 endurance marathons in 66 days in Britain’s 66 cities to try to raise funds for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, which supports armed forces personnel in need.

Bannister has given McMenemy and his Challenge 66 team his full backing.

“I am delighted to be supporting this superb ultra-marathon run and look forward to being there and meeting Andy McMenemy and the members of the team,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

“I wish Andy the best of luck in achieving his goal of setting a new world record,” he said.

Bannister broke the four-minute mile on May 6, 1954, while running for the Amateur Athletic Association against Oxford University.

“It is great to be running in Oxford, and the icing on the cake will be having a running legend there to greet me at the end of this leg of my marathon journey,” McMenemy stated.

McMenemy decided to help ABF The Soldiers’ Charity after it helped his father when he suffered ill health.

“We are thrilled and proud to be the beneficiary of Challenge66,” Major General Evelyn Webb-Carter, chief executive of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, said.

“The attempt to set a new world record for consecutive endurance marathons with no rest is a phenomenal feat of bravery and generosity which is for an extremely worthy cause,” Webb-Carter added. (ANI)