A RUNNING enthusiast from near Callington is set to test his endurance levels to the limit by taking on four ultramarathons in four days over the Easter weekend to raise funds for a children’s cancer charity.

Ed Nettleship, 24, from St Dominick, is tackling the mammoth challenge to raise money for Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and will see him run at least 50k a day for four days in a row, with a target of 68k for the final day.

Ed, who only took up running three years ago, has been looking for ways to push himself further since running his second marathon in York last October and then his first ultramarathon on a solo 40 mile run just three weeks later.

For his latest effort, he struck upon the idea of running multiple ultras across several consecutive days and, while he has been training four or five times a week for the challenge — getting up at 4am in some cases to fit it around his work in business-to-business sales and marketing — he’s under no illusions about the size of the task ahead. Though he said he is “feeling quite confident” and “stretching every day to make sure that my legs stay fresh.”

He added: “I think I'll feel pretty broken. But I'm interested to find out how far it pushes me.

“It's a big challenge. I anticipate hitting a lot of walls and thinking, ‘why am I doing this?’. I think when I've finished that first day, ran 50k and then know I’ve got to go and do another three of them over the next three days, I think then it will hit me.

“But doing this for charity, I can’t excuse myself, it gives me that accountability. I'm doing this for a cause greater than myself, so I have to do it. It’s extra motivation.”

Though Ed will be aided by family and friends to keep him fuelled and hydrated, he will complete the runs almost entirely on his own around routes planned by himself.

Speaking of why he chose to raise funds for CCLG, Ed said: “The charity does great work, not only in research and developing new medicines, but supporting so many families, too.

“I want to raise as much money as I possibly can. If I can make a difference to even just one family, it will all be worth it.

“I’ve never done any fundraising for charity before. It’s given me a real sense of purpose, to do something for other people.”

Ed said he’s received great support so far and thanked all those who have donated or helped him.

To donate to Ed’s fundraising visit www.justgiving.com/page/ed-nettleship-1700499680670