A SYSTEMS analyst is running two marathons in a week to raise money for an Oxfordshire-based children’s sports charity.

Paul Swanton, from Bicester, will be running the Manchester Marathon tomorrow (April 19) and the London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, in support of the Sports for Street Initiative (SSI).

SSI, based in Woodstock, offers children the opportunity to try non-mainstream sports including skateboarding, street hockey and laser tag.

Mr Swanton, who works at Oxford University Press, has been training for the marathons since September last year.

The 33-year-old said: “When I first heard about the charity it was something I felt very connected with, as I’ve always been interested in alternative sports.

“The work the charity is doing is incredible and I’m glad to be part of it.

"It is often difficult for kids to get involved in these kinds of activities in their communities.”

The training has been anything but easy, with Mr Swanton running more than 52 miles in a week.

He added: “It’s been hard and on some days the miles can often seem really long.

“I’ve had stress injuries in my ankles and knees, which has meant training has been less intense in the past few weeks.”

Mr Swanton has raised £400 in sponsorship so far but is hoping to reach his target of £1,000.

He has a personal best marathon time of two hours and 48 minutes but because of injuries he is hoping to run under three hours in both events.

Mr Swanton, who has been running for 12 years, is also an athletics coach for Bicester Athletic Club, and said the club is hoping to build a new running track in the near future.

David Edwards, charity manager for SSI, said: “What Paul is doing is a little bit crazy but it’s going to have a massive impact on the charity.

“We are quite a small operation and we have quite a small team but we work hard to help as many kids as possible.”

Both men have known each other since they were students, having both attended Wheatley Park School in Oxford.

Last year the charity worked with about 4,000 children in Oxfordshire and with 14 schools.

Mr Edwards said the charity is hoping to set up a trust fund for local clubs and youth groups so they can apply for grants, following recent cuts in funding for sports clubs.

To donate money visit Paul’s JustGiving page at justgiving.com/PaulForStreets