Marathon man Donovan goes from one extreme to another

The only man on the planet to run seven marathons in less than seven days on the seven continents is aiming to go one better by smashing the five-day barrier.

Irish ultra runner Richard Donovan starts his epic quest in the extremes of Antarctica, running the first 26-mile leg in -20C at the Russian Novo science base next Wednesday.

The 45-year-old is doing the endurance challenge on a shoestring budget out of his own pocket to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. His record stands at five days, 10 hours and eight minutes (130hrs 8mins).