Barefoot runner keen for converts

John Woodward runs everywhere in his bare feet

A teacher from Cumbria wants runners and joggers to kick off their shoes and take to the roads and countryside in their bare feet.

John Woodward teaches the Alexander Technique in Lancaster, Lancashire, to those wanting to improve their posture.

He has been running barefoot for more than 20 years and believes bare soles can transform a runner's performance.

He said his shoes-off approach was "serious fun" and created a "great physical sense of elan and joy".

"The fun element is about freeing the foot to enjoy all the fizzy sensations ... the leaves, the grass. You feel great," he added.

John Woodward recently completed a 60 mile (96.56km) barefoot fell run to celebrate his 60th birthday.