The former news editor of a local newspaper who ran the Dublin marathon in October and vowed ‘never again’ has signed up for the London Marathon.

Mark Fletcher, left, who previously worked on the Harlow Star series until 2007, starting as a trainee in 1998 and working his way up to news editor, will run the London marathon on behalf of the Environmental Investigation Agency.

Mark, who is now the PR and Marketing Manager of the Harlow Playhouse theatre, said: “I took up running a few years ago, in part as a hobby and also as a way of relieving the stress of a busy day.

“However, as time went by I gradually took running more seriously and began to enter fun runs and races; first a 10km here and there, and then a 10-mile and in 2010 the Run to the Beat half-marathon in London.

“Although I vowed never to do a full marathon, I eventually relented and gave the 2011 Dublin Marathon a shot. It was a great experience, but the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Echoing multi-Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave, I vowed never to do another.

“But the London Marathon has a special place in the hearts of many distance runners and the opportunity to do the 2012 race, especially in aid of the Environmental Investigation Agency, was too good to miss.”

EIA is an independent campaigning organisation committed to bringing about change that protects the natural world from environmental crime and abuse.

To sponsor Mark log onto http://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Fletcher2012.