Greatest feet of marathon man Roy

2:08pm Friday 16th February 2007

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Seasoned runner Roy Fleming does enough exercise to make anyone look lazy.

The Rayleigh man, 35, has run 50 marathons in the last three years and his idea of a rest week is limiting himself to running 60 miles in seven days.

He is now getting ready for his biggest challenge yet when he takes part in the Marathon des Sables in the Moroccan Sahara Desert in April.

Founded in 1986, it forces all 700 entrants to run 140 miles across the desert in seven days carrying all their supplies.

However, they do get a rest day - after running the longest stage, all 40 miles plus of scorching desert.

He said: "I wanted to enter it after I first saw the event on a DVD and I saw it as my next challenge. So many people enter it and so many fail to complete the course."

Roy forked out £2,500 for the entry fee to the extraordinary event.

Surprisingly the event is sold out within days of entries being accepted and Roy was on the waiting list for three years.

But he did not waste that time.

"I've run about 50 marathons in the past three years and that includes ultra marathons which is any event over 28 miles and could be up to 50 or 100 miles," he said.

"I have also run seven marathons in seven days and have done around 200 miles in a week training.

"But this week is a rest week so I will only do about 60 miles which includes a 50 mile ultramarathon."

He also says he is entered for a 200 mile ultramarathon in May, between London and Birmingham.

He lives with his wife Susan and three cats in Langham Drive and is a building site manager "between jobs".

He joined the Billericay Striders running club four years ago. He is the men's captain and coach.

Billericay Striders spokesman Ian Grant said: "They're bonkers, these endurance people, but every club should have one.

"He'll often run to the start of an organised run, do the run, then run home.

"Once he found he hadn't bought any shoes with him for one of our regular runs round Lake Meadows - so he just set off in bare feet."