LOCAL athlete Geoff Fielding is to take part in the highest and hardest marathon in the world.

The 56 year-old from Tottington has already survived the famous Sahara Marathon and is now ready to take on the Everest event which entails camping out in temperatures as low as -20 degrees Centigrade. Daytime temperatures can be as high as 30-degrees Centigrade.

Athletes from all over the world applied for the 75 available places for the November 26 race and Geoff, of Victoria Street, was delighted to be accepted.

It was six years ago that he took part in the Sahara event in the Moroccan desert and finished 2nd out of more than 200 starters.

Now he faces a marathon which starts from a base camp at 17,000 feet, and to reach the start line he will have to trek through the Himalayan foothills of Nepal for 16 days, hence the camping out!

It promises to be extremely tough for even a vastly experienced runner such as Geoff who has a host of wins under his belt and who achieved a best place 6th in the British Fell-Running Championships.

Due to benefit from the event on a 50-50 basis are the Everest Marathon Fund (supporting development projects in Nepal) and the Alzheimers Society.

Main sponsors are Lepps Ltd, the jewellers with branches in Bury, Altrincham and Warrington. They have £5 Everest cards signed by Geoff.

The previous seven races have raised £300,000.