HE IS set to cover hundreds, upon hundreds of kilometres for charity, taking part in several ultra marathons that only the most seasoned runners could overcome - including several 24-hour stages.

But, this is nothing Salisbury's Chris Dunn-Veale believes will stop him, as he takes on four months of gruelling events as part of this year's Challenge 856.

As the name suggests, Chris will be covering a distance of 856km as he attempts to raise cash for the charity Epilepsy Research UK, which he is a ambassador of.

The feat, part of Chris' wider Challenge 10,000 – which began in 2017, will see him traverse some of the toughest running areas of the country, including The Jurassic Coast, parts of the Cotswolds, the Peak District, and Beachy Head.

This will come in the form of nine races – one 106km race, seven 100km, and one 50km.

"I am definitely looking forward to it," said Chris, who starts the four-month feat on May 4.

"Mentally, the first two races I will be fine with as I have completed them before, but all the other races I have no idea what awaits me or what I'll be facing."

He added: "This will be the most challenging thing I have ever done, both physically and mentally, and will push my limitations further than I have ever before."

Chris explains that some of the races will be spread over 24 hours, and admits that it will take a lot "mentally" for him to complete them.

These distances, one of which will be 200km, will be split into four sections with food, physios, and additional support at stopping points.

Speaking about how he will overcome the dreaded runner's "wall", Chris – who has twice-completed the London Marathon – said: "I have had people say 'You are not going to be able to do it' but that just spurs me on to make sure that I will."

Yet, completing a challenge of this magnitude requires more than just having the right mental attitude. You also need to be fit.

"I have been out running a lot," said Chris, "But, at the moment, it's not as much as it could be," he added, with a nervous laugh.

Nevertheless, Chris – who took part in the annual Salisbury 10 mile over the weekend – said that raising money for the charity is the main drive for the challenge.

And being an ambassador for the charity means he has pledged to raise a minimum if £10,000, and so far he is just under the half-way mark.

"I'm not getting people to sponsor me," he said, "But, if people see what I'm doing and think 'that's great!' then they can donate - no matter how much - to the Challenge instead.

"As a popular supermarket chain says: Every little helps."

Chris's donation page can be found at: www.justgiving.com/challenge10000