A FITNESS fanatic who has taken part in every single Reading Half Marathon is excited about the prospect of taking on his 35th race.

Simon Brown, from Woodley, first signed up for the annual race in 1983 and has already set his sights on a half-century of half marathons.

This year's race, which will take place on March 18, will see competitors tackle the 13-mile course before crossing the finish line at Madejski Stadium.

Simon, 53, first entered the half marathon aged 18 and he is hoping to finish the 2018 edition in 1hr 30 minutes.

He said: "I took part with a few friends in my first year and since then haven’t looked back. I guess I have caught the bug.

"As soon as I find out the date for the following years run, I enter immediately.

"It is hard to beat Reading with its incredible start line, runners of all ages and abilities. But it is the impressive finish in the football stadium that does it for me.

"I really hope I get to race 50 Reading Half Marathons. That would be a pretty great achievement.”

Visit: www.readinghalfmarathon.com to register for the race.