A MALVERN man will be running 30 marathons in 30 days in memory of his father.

Matt James, aged 38, has plenty of experience as a runner - he has so far run four marathons, a half-marathon and an ultra-marathon.

However, he freely admits that the 30-marathon adventure will be quite a challenge.

He said: "It's nice to run a marathon and I enjoy it, but doing it day after day will be difficult. But that's the challenge. I'll actually have my 38th birthday while running."

"Not only will I have to run, but I will be doing this unsupported, so I will have to carry everything that I need for the run. I will also have to transport myself to and from each run," he said.

He has been getting in training by running at least two hours a day since Christmas, often on the hills and commons.

Mr James, who lives off Peachfield Road and runs a business selling t-shirts and other merchandise online, was inspired to take up the challenge to raise money for the Bristol-based hospice which looked after his father when he was dying of cancer.

He said: "When he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 2010 it really hit me hard. He underwent six months of chemo and then had an operation. He spent a few months recovering but then he was told that the cancer had returned and it was now terminal."

Mr James said his father opted for palliative care at home, supported by nurses from St. Peter's Hospice, Bristol, the city's only hospice for adults.

He said: "Without the support of St. Peter's, my dad would have not been able to spend his last few days at home, with his family around him. So this is why I want to raise as much money as I can for them."

Mr James is carrying out the challenge in August, and the first marathon will be in the Malvern area, twice around the half-marathon course that starts at the Three Counties Showground.

Subsequent marathons will take place around Worcester, Tewkesbury, the Forest of Dean, Wyre Forest, and Brecon, to name but a few.

Anyone who wants to support Mr James, or even join him one one of his runs, can contact him via his website 30in30.co.uk. He can also be sponsored at justgiving.com/runing30in30/.