A RIBBLE Valley cricket fanatic is set to take the longest bowling run-up in history – jogging 26.2 miles from Blackpool to Salesbury.

A batsman and fielders will be waiting for Jason Rawson’s delivery at the village’s cricket field, off Ribchester Road, while he undertakes the marathon.

Jason will be dressed in full whites and carrying the ball as he jogs from Blackpool.

The 39-year-old joked: “I’d better not overstep the mark and do a no ball!”

He is attempting the record bid, on March 20, to raise money for Salesbury Cricket Club who play in the top flight of the Ribblesdale League for the first time ever this summer.

The run-up will officially commence when he reaches a point a mile-and-a-half from the club, making it the Guiness Book of Records longest run-up in history, if successfully completed.

The father-of-three, who lives with his wife, Elizabeth, in Salesbury, said: “I will have to bowl a ball with two teams in place and then we will play a little match.

“I was just going to do a run, but then I thought it was better to do something different and we found out that this record had never been attempted before”The chartered surveyor, who has been involved with the cricket club since childhood with his dad, John, and brother, Simon, both playing for the club, is trying to raise thousands of pounds for improvements to the club house and to buy equipment.

During the event he will be joined by friends who will run three-mile stretches with him to keep up his motivation.

To donate funds email quarryside @btinternet.com