Mark Tointon

Mark, who was born with a club foot, is undertaking a mammoth challenge for charity of running nine marathons, most in extreme conditions, during a two-year period. Having already completed New York, the 40 year-old will also run the Antarctic Ice Marathon, North Pole Marathon, London Marathon, Jungle Marathon, Sahara Marathon, Dead Sea Marathon and Everest Marathon. His itinerary will see him cover the northernmost, southernmost, highest and lowest marathons on earth. In addition, Mark will be attempting to complete the Marathon Grand Slam of running marathons on all seven continents and on the Arctic Ocean. The marathons will additionally entail some of the wettest, driest, coldest and windiest races on the planet. But it’s all for a good cause and designed to raise £50,000 for the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children (GOSHCC) where he once had seven operations to help rectify problems with his club foot. Mark has dubbed his mission the 7/11 Challenge as one foot is now four sizes bigger than the other and he consequently wears size 7 and 11 shoes. Furthermore, one leg is 3cm shorter than the other. For more details of his endeavour, see www.711challenges.com.