A man who ran his first marathon just three years ago will attempt to run 401 marathons in 401 days.
Benjamin Smith, 33, will run the 26.2 mile distance every single day for just over 13 months to raise funds for anti-bullying and equality causes in the UK.
Mr Smith, from Bristol, is hoping to raise £250,000 for Stonewall and Kidscape as he covers more than 10,000 miles - the equivalent of running from London to Sydney.
He was bullied while at school, an experience which affected him through to adulthood, but after coming out as gay and also discovering a passion for running, he has found happiness in recent years. Now he wants to help those who might have been similarly affected.
"They are two charities which are close to my heart," Mr Smith, an account manager, said. "I was quite badly bullied at school for eight years. I came out as gay a couple of years ago.
"Since I came out I've never been happier and that gave me the strength to believe in myself.
"I ran my first marathon three years ago. I got hooked and went from strength to strength. I got my confidence back and my self-esteem."
The preparation for the 401 challenge began two years ago and Mr Smith tested his limits by running 18 marathons in 2014.
"It was to see what my limitations are, what my ability is," he said.
"I also started to get people on board like chiropractors and physios. Last year was about building confidence. I needed to get sponsors on board and health professionals on board."
Mr Smith, who begins his challenge on September 1, explained why he decided on 401 as a target.
"I looked at running a marathon every single day for a year - so 365 marathons," he said. "But I'm a bit OCD - as I think most runners are. So I liked the idea of rounding it up and adding the last one as a victory lap."
The challenge will see him take in 309 locations throughout the UK with the vast majority of his marathons being distance runs organised by UK running clubs.
Only nine will be official organised marathons, of which Bournemouth will be the only event he runs twice as his 34th and 398th marathons.
This year's Bournemouth Marathon weekend takes place in October.
"I ran Bournemouth last year and I loved it," Mr Smith said. "My other half is doing his PhD at Bournemouth University so we have an affiliation with it.
"It's also where I met my head physiotherapist and we've been best friends ever since. I love the looped ending to the Bournemouth Marathon, with the pier and the long stretch on the beach front. It's such a stunning marathon to run."
As with every run, he encourages people to join him for anything from one mile to the full distance.
"I want this to be true to what the charity is about. The whole point is to get people involved and to run with me," Mr Smith said.
"The more people talk about it, the more we spread the message that bullying shouldn't be part of our society.
"It's trying to raise awareness and well as raising a quarter of a million pounds for the two charities."
To follow Mr Smith's challenge go to www.the401challenge.co.uk
