Iron man Gary McKee is stepping up his fundraising challenges by running 100 marathons in 100 days.

The Cleator Moor hero will start his gruelling challenge on Saturday and will run 26.2 miles each day to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

He will finish by taking part in the London Marathon on April 23 and hopes to raise £10,000 for the charity’s Cumbrian appeal.

Mr McKee is no stranger to pushing himself to the limits as over the past few years he has taken on a number of tough challenges, raising more than £100,000 for charity.

He has trekked across New Zealand, cycled through Brazil and run 350 miles from his home to London.

The father-of-three carries out his challenges in memory of his dad, Victor, who died in 2003 and he’s decided to raise the bar this year, as it would have been his dad’s 80th birthday.

“On June 23, 1997, my life changed when my dad was diagnosed with cancer,” said Mr McKee.

“He fought it and was a survivor. Dad passed away of an unrelated illness in 2003 and in his memory I started fundraising for Macmillan.

“I’ve climbed mountains, ran marathons, trekked, cycled, jumped out of aeroplanes and walked over fire.”

Mr McKee is well known in the community as he carried the Olympic torch on its way through Whitehaven in 2012, which was the year he was Macmillan’s Volunteer of the year.

In 2015 he raised £15,000 for the charity after running from Whitehaven to London, and then completing the city’s marathon.

He was later recognised for his fundraising achievements by Lord Sebastian Coe.