Training for a marathon is hard for anyone, but what happens when you're preparing for this arduous physical challenge when you're in your fifties? LUCY STEPHENS finds out.

EVERY year, thousands of people pound their way over 26 miles of England's capital to take part in the Flora London Marathon.

Some dress up in fancy costumes, many raise money for charity, others simply take part for the benefit of their own fitness.

But, whatever the reason for joining the crowds, there is no doubt that every runner has had to put in months of hard physical training to make sure they are up to the task.

That is all very well for the young and fit, but what about older runners whose bodies might no longer respond so well to the demands of regular training?

One man taking part in this year's Flora London Marathon is Phil Heron, of Bolton Percy, near York.

Phil, 54, has decided to give the challenge a go to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity, a disease which affects many men his age.

Although a keen footballer in his younger days, Phil has not run a marathon before.

He has now been training since August, starting from a few miles three times a week to an intensive programme of four runs every week, one of them a longer distance, currently eight miles.

"Shortly after the Great North Run came out in the early 80s I participated in that, and I took it in my stride," he said.

"But you get to a certain age and you stop doing all that.

"I've always had this ambition to do the London Marathon.

"I've not done any running or anything since I gave up football in my late thirties.

"When you start off with something like this, having had that background, your mindset is still 20 years old, you think you can just get into the groove of it.

"You don't realise how you're affected by the passage of time."

Since beginning training, Phil has had a problem with one of his knees, but he is determined to carry on his gruelling exercise programme and finish the marathon in April.

To let others know how he is getting on, he is writing a blog about his experiences on his fundraising web page.

Phil is aiming to raise about £5,000 for the charity.

Elaine Bennett, director of fundraising at the Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "Taking part in the Flora London Marathon is an excellent way to support the work of the charity.

"We have more than 160 people running on our behalf, most of whom are taking part because they, or someone close to them, have been affected by the disease, which kills one man every hour in the UK.

"We are extremely grateful to Phil and all of our runners, who have shown an incredible commitment to the charity by dedicating a fantastic amount of time and effort into training for this event.

"It is only with this kind of support that we can continue to help improve the lives of the 32,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year through our research, information and support services."

You can support Phil by donating money via his web page, at www.justgiving.com/philheron