AN accountant from Stroud will be adding up the miles in London on Sunday April 13 when he takes to the streets in the London Marathon.

Robert Case, 32, from Farm Hill, who works for Randall & Payne in Cheltenhm, has been running with Stroud Athletics Club for six years. He says: “I’ve never done a marathon before, although I have run several half marathons, but I’ve always wanted to do one after being inspired by other runners.

“I’ve actually applied five times and got in this year, and I thought it would be a missed opportunity to do the race without raising money, so I’m going to run for the British Heart Foundation.”

He adds: “I lost a brother at an early age to a heart condition and more recently my father had a heart bypass operation so now it’s time for me to give something back.”

With the big race less than two weeks away, Robert is hoping he’s done enough training. He says: “My best man is an elite runner so he provided me with a bespoke schedule. So far I’ve run over 400 miles this year, in 52 hours of training, and it’s been one of the biggest commitments of my life.”

He adds: “I’m hoping to finish in under three hours 45 minutes and would like to beat Mo Farah! But I’m just looking forward to the whole thing, taking part in the biggest marathon on the planet and enjoying the support that the crowd always seems to give.”

Robert has set himself a target of raising £3,000: if anyone would like to sponsor him they can do so via http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/runningrobcase