A RUNNER with a passion for travelling the globe completed his 100th marathon on Sunday.

Paul Monaghan crossed the finish line of the Richmond Marathon, his 22nd race of the year, to achieve the coveted milestone and enter the 100 Marathon Club.

The 54-year-old is an active member of Reading Roadrunners and takes part in competitions all over Europe, combining his fondness for staying fit and integrating with new cultures.

Originally from Liverpool, Mr Monaghan returned to his hometown for his first marathon in 2011 and he has since raised thousands of pounds for charity.

He said: “I thought it would be fitting to go back to my hometown and my mum was ill at the time.

“With me running a marathon twice a month it is hard to keep asking people for money, but my mum had a stroke and died last year so I ran for Stroke Association a lot.

“I came to enjoy running a little bit later in life. I was not a sports fan and seven years ago I was a few stone heavier than I wanted so I decided to lose weight.

“In order to sustain it I had to keep exercising and because the diet was hard to keep up I had to do more running.

“Pretty soon after that I was doing my first marathon.”

Having moved to Reading in 2001, Mr Monaghan continued running all over the world after losing weight and he has completed nearly half a century of marathons in the last two years alone.

He added: “Travelling has always been one of my passions and when you go to a new country you see a culture from their perspective and it is that social aspect that drives me on.

“New York was absolutely phenomenal. I always dreamt of doing that marathon and I was lucky to run over the Queensboro Bridge.

“I would like to do another 100. It has been a lot of fun and although it is a challenge I love doing it. While I am running a marathon it is all about me being in the moment.”