'˜I started running 44 years ago'¦Â at 70, it's still a way of life'Â

Then 26, the Portsmouth-raised dad-to-be ditched his self-confessed '˜heavy' smoking habit and took to the road in an unmistakable pair of Union Jack shorts. 

But little did he know, that snap choice would become an obsession taking him the distance of 200 marathons. 

And even now '“ 44 years later, at the age of 70 '“ he is showing no sign of stopping, with his next feat lined up in nine days. 

He said: '˜I will be lining up for the Severn Bridge Half Marathon on Sunday, August 26 and will be disappointed if I don't go under two hours and be competitive in my male, 70-plus age group.' 

Mr Such, who has today recreated a 1974 photograph of him pursuing his passion (above), attended the former Southern Grammar School for Boys in Portsmouth. 

Since beginning his journey to fitness, he has amassed north of 100,000 miles and has completed 99 marathons in under three hours '“ including one in 2hr 30m '“ and has never looked back. 

'˜I started running when my wife gave me the lovely news that she was going to have a baby,' he said. 

'˜I was not very fit and was a very heavy smoker, so overnight I decided that I needed to get myself straight to be a father. I gave up the ciggies and started jogging. 

'˜It became a way of life and I became rather good at it '“ I still run every day.'