Plymouth Evening Herald journalist Charles Elder will face his toughest deadline yet next month, when he takes part in his third marathon.

The deputy chief sub-editor ran his first marathon in Paris in 2003 and completed last year's London Marathon in three hours and three minutes.

Now he is training hard to break the three hour mark.

Charles said: "Three minutes might not sound like a lot to take off my finish time last year, but it means running every mile in six minutes and fifty seconds or less right from the start, which will be pretty grim going."

He is fitting in runs before work, in lunch breaks and at weekends in preparation for the 26.2 mile challenge on April 17.

He said: "I'm now running about 60 miles a week in preparation. I've practically worn a trail in the pavement around Derriford and Southway!

"If all goes to plan and I avoid illness and injury in the coming weeks I might just crack my target time - and hopefully get in the top 1,000 runners out of the 35,000 taking part.

"It's the 25th London Marathon, so running in the anniversary event should be something to remember.

"Basically, it's the only way I can get a medal without doing something genuinely heroic!"