Self confessed couch potato from Chapel-en-le-Frith accidentally signs up to London Marathon

Steven Mather has taken part in fundraising events through work and when colleagues suggested doing the marathon together he agreed - not realising just how long 26.2miles really is.

The 40-year-old from Chapel said: “I hate running. Hate it.

“You get hot and sweaty, it takes ages and then you come home, have a bath, everything hurts and you go to bed.

“But here we are.”

Steven, who is running for Whizz Kids which provides equipment and support for families with disabled children, has now started his training plan.

He said: “I meant to start months ago but it was cold and dark and wet and then I got a chest infection and didn’t feel like going out.

“In the past couple of weeks I’ve got myself sorted and I’ve been running but it’s so boring running the same hills and roads all the time.”

To break things up Steven took a long weekend to Spain to go and see a friend who lived there and ran round Spanish streets which he said was a nice change.

“But I’d much rather be sat at home,” he said.

“This isn’t a midlife crisis though,” he explained.

“I’m unfit and unhealthy but a mid-life crisis would be a new tattoo or a motorbike.

“It’s about setting myself a challenge and going for it.”

Steven said when the London Marathon is over he wanted to continue to push himself and has signed up for a marathon in Poland in September and is allowing himself a week off to go back to his sofa and chill out before the training restarts again.

He said: “I’ve set myself the target of running the London Marathon in five hours and then I would like to beat that in Poland just to prove I can.

“I want to raise £1,900 and that money will really make a difference to people so if you could support me that would be great.”

To donate to Steven’s fundraiser visit justgiving.com/page/steventada