WITH the Olympics in full swing, one athlete who lives a little closer to home is within reach of breaking a staggering world record.

Moreton marathon man Steve Edwards is just eight races away from achieving an amazing life-long dream – to run 500 marathons, each in a time of under three-and-a-half hours.

Since the beginning of his incredible journey in 1981, when he ran the Coventry Marathon aged 18, Steve has run 568 official marathon races of which 492 have been completed in under three-and-a-half hours.

Despite having two months away from training this year due to hamstring and calf injuries, the 49-year-old is determined to complete the challenge by his 50th birthday on November 29.

“I’ve missed six events and have had to readjust the schedule,”

he said. “I underestimated just how much impact it would have on my body.

“I was trying to run marathons weekly with no rest break.

I just got carried away. Whenever I run people say it looks so easy. What people don’t see is all the hours of running that have to go in day to day.”

Steve’s marathon running has taken him to 28 countries including the USA and New Zealand and he has run the London Marathon 17 times.

But the father-of-one, who works for Campden BRI in IT technical support and is a member of the Bourton Roadrunners Club and 100 Marathon Club, said he will not stop running when he completes his challenge.

“If I can maintain my fitness I will try to win prizes in my age category,” he added.

“Maybe not to the same intensity but I might try some ultra marathons. Thirty or 40-mile races.

“It’s part of my life. I enjoy running.”

Steve’s last push: • Guernsey. Sunday, August 26 • Wolverhampton. Sunday, September 2 • New Forest. Sunday, September 23 • Chester. Sunday, October 7 • Leicester. Sunday, October 14 • Abingdon. Sunday, October 21 • Preston. Sunday, October 28 • Milton Keynes. Sunday, November 11.

President Bob Hadley said: “The day was a great success and we are most grateful to the public for their support.”

STEVE’S INCREDIBLE 500 MARATHON FACTFILE

Steve has run 13,100 miles during his record bid – the equivalent of running from John O’ Groats to Land’s End 15 times.

If he had started running around the world from his home in Moreton he would have run further than New Zealand.

He has run in 28 countries.

He’s got through 50 pairs of running shoes.

About 4,000 litres of fluids have kept him hydrated.

With about 40,000 steps taken to run one marathon, he has taken 20 million steps in total.

His average finish time is three hours, 15 minutes and 16 seconds with an average mile time of seven minutes and 26 seconds.

On average he has run a competitive marathon race every 16 days for the last 24 years.