A FORMER teacher known to thousands of school children has gone on the run - to complete a marathon in every continent of the world.

John Craven, 39, completed a gruelling 26.2mile race in Patagonia, Chile last week, the final step on his 15 year mission to finish the challenge.

The run among the snow and glaciers of the remote southern region comes after completing marathons in Antarctica, along the Great Wall of China, next to lions and zebra in Kenya and in London, New York and Melbourne.

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Mr Craven used to teach at the Oxford Academy in Sandy Lane West before leaving to found his own charity, called upReach, helping disadvantaged students.

The runner, who lives in Dorchester-on-Thames, has raised more than £35,000 from his exploits for causes including upReach and Marie Curie cancer care, who helped look after his mother before her death from cancer 25 years ago.

A former city trader, Mr Craven remembers watching the London Marathon on TV when he was younger, but said he was left far from inspired.

He said: "I was sure the runners were out of their minds.

"Why would anyone put themselves through 26 miles of pain and agony on a cold, wet Sunday morning?"

Despite this he found himself on the finishing line of the famous race in April 2002, nursing missing toenails and enormous blisters and swearing never to repeat the feat again.

But a year later on a plane to New York he had a chance encounter with explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who was in the middle of running seven marathons in seven continents in seven days, which sparked off the plan.

Mr Craven said: "My mind was made up.

"I thought seven days might be a bit ambitious, but as a lifetime goal, running a marathon in each continent.

"What a great excuse to see the world, to keep fit, and to try to raise some money for some good causes at the same time."

Training has often consisted of running along the River Thames or up Wittenham Clumps but this wouldn't cut it when gearing up for the marathon in Antarctica which he completed in 2017.

This he had to do while dodging snow drifts and wearing full-body thermals, a fleece, gloves, goggles and a hat.