AS the London Marathon approaches, a member of the Pembrokeshire Harriers is on course to achieve his goal of raising £50,000 for charity, and has set the bar even higher!

David Phillips, who divides his time with his family between Penally and Claverdon, near Stratford in Warwickshire, has managed the feat of reaching 404 marathons and raising £49,000 for the Brain and Spine Foundation Charity as part of the 'Daily Telegraph's Marathon Team'.

"When I ran my first marathon in 1982, never did I think that 30 years later I'd still be at it," said David.

"Yet over the years, the challenges on both fronts have been the driving force behind the goal I set several years ago to have reached the targets of 400 marathons and £50,000 raised for charities by the UK Olympic year in the London marathon.

"Well I'm delighted to say that, thanks to the continual help of my many supporters and well wishers, I'm almost there. So the Brain and Spine Foundation Charity and 'Daily Telegraph's Marathon Team' have raised the bar for me, so now it's 407 marathons and £53,000 the target, so the final push is on," he continued.

For the 12th consecutive year, David is running for the 'Daily Telegraph's Marathon Team', with the honorary captain inspirational former boxer Michael Watson, who nearly died after a boxing match, and it was neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn (founder of the Brain and Spine Foundation Charity) who is responsible for Michael still being with us.

"The charity is very small, but extremely personal and their work for people with brain and associated spinal problems is immense but of course funds don't come easily for them," explained David.

April will be busy month for David with full marathons at Worcester on April 15, London on the 22nd and Stratford on the 29th, which will be his 31st consecutive out of 32 (missing the first as he was playing rugby for Kenilworth).

Finally, there will be a celebration buffet on April 29 at the Pen and Parchment pub on the Hilton roundabout at Stratford after the marathon to celebrate and to give David a chance to thank those who have helped him raise the money over the years.

Anyone wishing to donate to David's charity cause can view his fundraising webpage at http://www.justgiving.com/David-Phillips407">www.justgiving.com/David-Phillips407