A Norwich man is aiming to run in extreme cold weather at a 700m altitude in one of the toughest marathons in the world in the Antarctic.
The race will complete the seven marathons in seven continents challenge for Tom Dilrew, 29, who began the venture in 2016.
The former Hellesdon High School student, who now lives in Richmond, London, has completed marathons in Rome, Sydney, Rio, Toronto, Singapore and Cape Town.
Mr Dilrew, who represented Norwich City Academy in his childhood, said the Ice Marathon would be his toughest race yet, where temperatures dropped to -20C.
'Because of the conditions you can't sweat because that could freeze and you could get hypothermia,' he said. 'But you have to run enough to keep warm.'
Mr Dilrew said he would make regular trips to Norway, where temperatures were comparable to Antarctica, in order to prepare for the Ice Marathon in 2020.
His toughest marathon to date was in Rio last year, where he ran in searing heat in the Brazilian city.
'It was 37C, I don't think a European person was built to run in that kind of heat,' he said. 'Even the locals were struggling with it. I got really delirious from the heat.'
Even before running the event in extreme cold weather, Mr Dilrew faces a challenge of getting there.
He said: 'I have funded all of the marathons in my challenge so far. I felt that in taking on seven marathons, asking the same people for money each time was not sustainable, and that I would have to wait for the final marathon of the challenge.
'For this race, I will again be paying for my flights and hotel costs to get me as far as Chile. However, the costs of flying on to the Union Glacier of Antarctica and participating in the race are just out of my reach.
'I am hoping that friends, family and anyone interested in supporting me on the final step of this challenge will help contribute to the entry costs.'
Once he is able to confirm his race entry, Mr Dilrew said he would be raising money for charities To Kenya With Love, Nelson's Journey and the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation.
To donate, visit: www.gofundme.com/thisladrunsantarctica
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