Team take on 'toughest' marathon

Richard Whitehead (middle) expects the race to be a challenge

A man born with no legs below the knee is taking on what is regarded as Europe's toughest marathon.

Richard Whitehead, from Colwick, Nottingham, and three work colleagues will join about 1,500 runners expected to line up for the Snowdonia Marathon.

The swimming teacher, who completed the New York Marathon 2004 and this year's Robin Hood Half Marathon, runs on specially-cushioned "C-sprints".

His team are raising money for MacMillan Cancer Relief.

Mr Whitehead will run with Dan Philpotts, Chris Hopkinson and Keith Southwell, his colleagues at Dayncourt School, a specialist sports college in Radcliffe on Trent.

He said he expected the race's notorious inclines to put additional strain on his thigh muscles, but that all four of them intended to complete the course.

He added: "There's a difference between doing the New York Marathon and the Snowdonia Marathon, as in New York, there's millions of people pushing you on. Here, you have to rely on your determination to get round.

The race may be tough, but it goes through spectacular scenery

"People cheering you on does help - especially when you want to stop."

Snowdonia Marathon coordinator Elfyn Jones explained exactly why the event, founded in 1982, is regarded as the most difficult in Europe.

"If you just look at the course it's got several steep hills on it - it starts at above 300 ft above sea level and in the first four miles it climbs over 1,000 ft," he said.

"Then at the end of the race the last five miles involves another steep climb - this time again of over 1,000 ft. And it goes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK."