A pensioner is gearing up to run his 14th London Marathon at the age of 75!

Fred Eastham, of Preston Old Road, Blackburn, said his entry into the 26-mile race showed that age was no barrier to physical fitness.

And he said pounding the streets of East Lancashire for 32 miles each week had kept him in rude health during his 14 years of happy retirement.

Mr Eastham, who is to run for Cancer Research UK, said: "Since my 50s, running has been more or less a continuous thing, practically every week I am running to keep fit. I think you have to, particularly as you get older. You can't take a break for six months.

"When you get older it is more important to keep a reasonable level of fitness. Sitting down and doing nothing is not good for anybody because you are going to die very quickly."

The grandfather-of-four said a work colleague inspired him to take up running at the age of 53 and he now runs between four and eight miles every weekday.

Prior to his fitness regime he said a kickabout with workmates and a commit-ment to walking where possible was the extent of his physical exercise.

But he said he felt "lucky" to have escaped conditions which can leave OAPs housebound, apart from a prostate cancer scare in 1999 which was treated with radiotherapy.

Fred, who lives with his wife Hilda, said he was now looking to finish the April 23 race in about four hours 40 minutes.

He completed last year's marathon at 4 hours and 53 minutes, coming 51st out of the 145 men aged over 70 who took part. The winner in 3 hours and 27 minutes was 70-year-old Mick Ward, of Shropshire.