ST ANNES businessman and technology guru Anthony Clarke is on his marks for a marathon debut in New York -- having already proved a pace-setter on the Internet.

The non-stop head of a leading Blackpool new media company, Encore Media, 35-year-old Anthony has just finished overseeing the transformation of his firm to its new brand identity as Katalyze.

Now he is swapping the new name for New York as he heads to the USA later this week. Production director Anthony, who lives in Heyhouses Lane, aims to mix business with pleasure as well as charity fundraising as he flies out to run one of the world's most famous marathons.

The New York Marathon takes place on November 5 and Anthony has been training hard for the past eight months.

"I have done a lot of exercise in preparation for my first marathon and feel confident that I will complete the course," he said. "I am looking forward to it. It's always been one of my ambitions to visit New York and I can't think of a better reason than to take part in the marathon for a deserving cause.

"It would be nice to finish in around four hours, but above all I want to enjoy the experience," continued the Internet specialist, who was born and educated in Congleton, Cheshire. Anthony is one of 20 New York Marathon runners from the Chorley-based Harvesters Trust, which aims to raise at least £15,000 from the event to build and equip a new orphanage in Zambia.

Cycling to and from the office, he has also completed half-marathon distance training runs in the months leading to the spectacular event, which covers 26.2 miles of the New York City streets.

He will join 35,000 runners from all over the world who will go under starters orders on Staten Island. The course then winds over the 13,000 feet long Verranzano Narrows Bridge into the Brooklyn district.

Passing back over the Brooklyn Bridge, the race moves into Queens before the runners go over the Queensboro Bridge into Harlem and then return to the skyscrapers of Manhattan for the finish in Central Park.

During his US trip, Anthony is also meeting other companies to discuss the bespoke skills offered by the highly experienced Katalyze team, which has already seen heavy demand for its on-line services.