A runner is to tackle his biggest challenge yet when he attempts to clock up 300 miles in 16 days in memory of a girlfriend killed by a drink driver.

Kaveh Fatemian, from Kennington, hopes to run from Paris to London in just over a fortnight and complete both cities’ marathons at either end of his journey.

The 23-year-old student is hoping to raise £10,000 for Cancer Research UK — a charity close to the heart of his girlfriend Hannah Miller, from London, who was killed two years ago in California.

He said: “I appreciate I am biased, but as gorgeous as Hannah undoubtedly was, to me the truly special thing about her was just how beautiful she was on the inside.

“I guess I’m trying to make her proud, and smile that lovely smile as she looks down from above.

“There’s a really bad history of cancer on both my mum and dad’s side of the family. I’m an easy-going guy and I don’t hate anyone, but cancer is the one exception. I hate it with a passion.”

Mr Fatemian, who coaches at Kennington Boys’ FC, will begin his challenge on April 5 with the Paris Marathon, before spending two weeks running to London. He will then briefly return to his accounting and finance studies in Bath before taking on the London Marathon on April 26.

He said: “I’ve been doing an awful lot of training and I’m getting sick of eating pasta. This week I’ve done about 100 miles, which is the most I’ll do before the start.

“It has been pretty tricky juggling university, coursework and playing football for a couple of teams.

“A couple of my housemates have kindly agreed to come along with me and travel behind me in a car.

“They will be driving me from the hotels to where we’ll start each day.

“The day will be split into three runs and I’ll be covering about 25 miles each day — although some days it will be more and some it will be fewer.

“I’ve been having a lot of fun with French maps and Google Earth, but I think I’ve found pretty much the shortest and flattest route, although it does get a bit hilly down near the coasts.”

The former pupil at John Mason School, Abingdon, has completed the Berlin, London and Amsterdam Marathons.

He said: “I’ve resigned myself to losing several toenails and getting blood blisters, but I’m happy to take a bit of pain.

“My biggest fear is a stress fracture or a small injury like a broken toe that could force me to stop.

“I’d probably walk or hop to the finish though.”

For more details and to sponsor Mr Fatemian, who has so far raised £3,500, log on at paris2london.com tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk