Matt Luff is set to undertake one of the most gruelling ultra-marathons in the world when he competes in the 90km (56 miles) Comrades Marathon in South Africa on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, from Barton, has run 1,600km in training for the trek from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in order to raise £1,000 for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT).

This will be the third straight year Luff has competed in the event and his 33rd marathon overall and he admitted it has become an obsession.

“I learnt about the legendary Comrades Marathon after reading about it in a book when I was 20kgs heavier and thought I’d never be able to achieve it,” said Luff.

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“After training successfully a few years ago, I decided to give it a go and prove myself wrong.”

“Now others in my family are also hooked – even my children have their own running shoes!”

Olivia Myeza, chief executive officer of HACT, which aims to help HIV and AIDS sufferers in the Valley of 1,000 Hills region of the country, said: “We are so grateful that Matt has chosen to use this opportunity to raise funds and awareness for our charity.”