HIS family thinks he is crazy, his friends say he is bonkers – and now he is also questioning his own sanity.

But that has only made Andy Williams even more determined to push his body to its physical limit and run four marathons in just eight weeks.

What started off as a great idea has turned into a daunting challenge that will see the 34-year-old from Titchfield run more than 100 miles through Paris, London, Belfast and Edinburgh between April 5 and May 31.

For many the achievement of running one marathon would be plenty, but not for marathon novice Andy.

He believes that while he is putting in the months of gruelling training he may as well run all four marathons, rather than wasting all that hard work on just one.

Despite the advice that every marathon runner should take one day recovery for every mile ran, Andy will run all 104 miles in just 56 days, with two marathons just seven days apart.

But the driving force behind this crazy idea is raising money for Action Medical Research, which funds research into a whole range of diseases.

Andy, of Ransome Close, said: “Well there are lots of reasons why this is an insane idea, many of which I have already been told, including that I will die, but it is too late. My places are booked, there is no turning back.

“When I first told my wife Tracey, stepson Michael and friends it was a real shock for them but that has made me even more determined to succeed.

“I just thought that if I was going to do all this hard training, after completing one marathon I would feel pretty gutted that it was all just for that.

“I know most normal people would feel over the moon but my thinking was that if I am going to put all those hours in I may as well do four.

“I must admit as it gets closer to the first one I am feeling scared about it all, the thought of one marathon is frightening, let alone four, but I am doing it for such a great charity, so that keeps me going.”

To sponsor Andy log onto the Daily Echo website dailyecho.co.uk.