81-year-old, who has run every London Marathon since it began in 1981, will run again on Sunday, but this time on crutches!

An 81-year-old man from Harborne in Birmingham, who has taken part in every London Marathon since it began in 1981, has announced that he will run again on Sunday, but this time using crutches.

Dale Lyons, who is running for the third year in a row for the disability charity Sense, has had ankle and knee replacements, but is adamant that this won’t stop him from losing his London Marathon ‘Ever Present’ title.

Dale said: “This year will be my third year supporting Sense. It was supposed to be my last race in 2017, but as an ‘Ever Present’ it’s hard to let go when you’ve got the running bug. My training has taken a hit due to sciatica, knee and ankle problems. I am not sure if I will be able to finish the marathon this year, but I will certainly not give up.”

Dale attributes his success to ‘clean living’ and is hoping to add to the sum of £50,000 he has raised for charity.