FOR most people, running one marathon in a lifetime is an achievement.

But three adventurers are today setting off to run more than one marathon a day, for five days in a row – on the Pyrenees mountain range between France and Spain.

Justin Bowyer, older brother Gavin and friend Robin Pemberton will be tackling the epic 250km Cathar Way to raise money for Oxfordshire charity SpecialEffect, which adapts video game systems for people with disabilities.

The 1,000-year-old trail will take them over tough terrain steeped in history that provided inspiration for the books The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code.

Father-of-one Justin, from Witney, said he has already ran some 1,700 miles in preparation.

The 45-year-old, a sports journalist and editor of the website RunningMonkey, said: “I visited the area about 20 years ago and I have always thought it would be a great challenge to go back and run it.

“We’ve had since the beginning of the year to prepare and have had the London Marathon and T60 [a 60-mile run along the Thames Towpath] as training runs.”

The Sentier Cathare, or Cathar Way, runs through southern French countryside, from Port- La-Nouvelle on the Mediterranean coast, across the Corbières and the Pyrenees foothills of the Aude to the historic town of Foix. It is lined by famous Cathar fortresses, “castles in the sky” perched on rocky peaks .

“If things get a bit tough, we will just have to look around to remind ourselves how privileged we are,” Mr Bowyer, whose brother Gavin lives in Winchester, added.

“The Cathar Way is a spectacularly beautiful route.”

Mr Bowyer said he, orthopaedic consultant surgeon Gavin, and fellow Witney resident Mr Pemberton first dreamt up their plan after taking part in the Atlantic Coast Challenge last year, but firmed up the details over a pint in their local, The Griffin. He added: “I blame the pub.”

The runners will be providing updates on their journey via runningmonkey.co.uk and have already raised more than £3,100, beating their £2,500 target.

They are due to set off today without support and will be carrying all their equipment with them.

For more information or to donate cash, visit justgiving.com/CatharWayChallenge.