As if completing the London Marathon wasn’t a challenge in itself, a critical care paramedic from Cornwall is preparing to take it one step further – by running it in his full Cornwall Air Ambulance kit.

Not only this, he hopes to be able to finish the course in under three hours!

Fortunately Paul Maskell is no stranger to extreme challenges, as he represents Team GB in the 24 hour Ultramarathon World Championships.

However, even he admits this challenge will be “gruelling.”

It’s all for a good cause, however, with Paul hoping to raise vital funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance’s #HELi2 Appeal.

This is aiming to raise £2.85 million to help secure a second AW169 helicopter for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Doing so would boost the resilience of the service by ensuring there should always be a helicopter to fly, as well as help the crew attend more missions by air, and save even more lives.

Paul said: “Our critical care paramedic uniform is heavy, non-breathable, fire retardant and generally not that flexible.

“Without a doubt, it will be a gruelling challenge.

“The heavy and cumbersome nature of the kit adds an extra layer of difficulty. Yet despite the challenges, I'm determined to achieve a sub three-hour finish time.

“I'd be so grateful if you could help me raise as much money as possible for an amazing, local cause.”

You can support Paul’s fundraising via his Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/page/paul-maskell-1710953904682

This year’s London Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 21.