City astrophysicist Dr Phil Wiseman is taking on seven marathons in seven days this week, running from Gloucestershire to London via Southampton.
His challenge will end with the London Marathon on Sunday.
Dr Wiseman, Research Fellow in Astrophysics at the University of Southampton whose work on the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed hit the headlines last year, is raising money for the MS Society in honour of his mum Ann, who has the condition.
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He set off from his childhood home, where his parents still live, near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire this morning (Monday April 15) and will run 42 kilometres every day for seven days on a route that will take him to Southampton and then to London.
Dr Wiseman, 31 and from Chandler’s Ford, will wear a different outfit every day, chosen by his highest sponsors. His outfits include a pink Miss Piggy tutu, lederhosen, a rainbow tutu, and the rugby kit of Van Mildert College at Durham University, where he studied as an undergraduate.
He said: “My mum’s progressive MS was diagnosed almost 20 years ago and, with this year being her 65th birthday, I wanted to take on a significant challenge to raise money and awareness of multiple sclerosis.
“I have run marathons before, so it needed to be something bigger than that. I just hope I can make it through seven days back-to-back!”
The route Dr Wiseman will follow has been carefully planned to take in places of meaning to him, including his childhood home in Gloucestershire, Southampton where his parents met in the late '70s as University of Southampton students, his current home in Chandler’s Ford, and Sutton in South London where his mum grew up.
He will be joined by members of his running club, the Chandler’s Ford Swifts, as his route passes through the area on Thursday.
In May last year, a team of astronomers led by Dr Wiseman uncovered the largest cosmic explosion ever witnessed.
Dr Wiseman has set up a fundraising page to collect sponsorship in aid of the MS Society. Sponsor him at justgiving.com/fundraising/phils-7in7
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