A 78-year-old runner is preparing for another marathon – even though he already has more than 800 under his belt.

Andy Wilmot, a member of the Halstead Road Runners, completed his 800th marathon in 2020.

He has now run 830 marathons and plans to add to his extensive accomplishments by doing multiple marathons in July.

While there are ten marathons on offer, Andy is running only in a few due to wear and tear on his body.

Gazette: Posing for a snap - Andy Wilmot has run over 800 marathonsPosing for a snap - Andy Wilmot has run over 800 marathons (Image: Emma Healy)

One of the marathons happens to fall on Andy’s 79th birthday.

Emma Healy, a fellow member of the Halstead Road Runners, said: “I really feel as a club that we need to celebrate him and his dedication to running.

“The fact that he is 79 and still running marathons is amazing and the sheer number that he has run.”

Andy began running in 1986 after his family took up the hobby.

He decided to join them, joining the Halstead Road Runners about a year later.

Gazette: Preparation - Andy is gearing up for more marathonsPreparation - Andy is gearing up for more marathons (Image: Emma Healy)

Since then, he has competed in the London Marathon 29 times, beginning with the 1988 event.

Andy will have plenty of family support from his son, daughter and granddaughter for the summer marathons.

The 2020 London Marathon was originally meant to be Andy’s 800th marathon, however the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to those plans.

So, he instead achieved that milestone at the Suffolk Running Centre in Barrow, near Bury St Edmunds.

Andy crossed the finishing line after just under five hours of running. 

He is now retired, but worked for JS Wright & Sons for over 40 years. 

Although Andy has now taken part in several marathons, he picked the London Marathon as his favourite which he describes as a “good day out".

Gazette: Resting - runner Andy WilmotResting - runner Andy Wilmot (Image: Emma Healy)

After running his first London Marathon, Andy became friendly with other runners.

At one point, he was running for 65 miles per week though this has now dropped down to 30.

Andy now runs one marathon per month which means he trains every other day depending on the weather.

Running is also an efficient way to stay energised and physically fit, with a lot of health benefits.

When asked whether he would advise others to take up running as a hobby, Andy said: “I don’t see why not.

“You’re out in the fresh air, that helps as well.”