Astronaut Tim Peaker training for marathon in space

ASTRONAUT Tim Peake is urging runners on Earth to join him as he trains for the London Marathon in space.

Tim Peake. Picture: PA

Major Tim, whose wife, Rebecca is from Comrie in Perthshire, is pounding out the miles on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which is orbiting at about 200 miles over the Earth, as he prepares to become the first Brit to run a marathon in orbit on 24 April.

To help with the challenge Peake is using the Digital Virgin Money London Marathon for some of his training runs and will be tweeting the times on @astro_timpeake, which will be retweeted by @LondonMarathon.

Peake, who is running to raise awareness of The Prince’s Trust, said: “It can be lonely pounding out the miles on the treadmill in the ISS.

“It would be fantastic to run with other people and see their avatars on my screen as I do my training.”

The first chance to train with him will be on 13 March at 10am.

Peake has a strict fitness regime while he is on his six-month mission as astronauts need to combat the impact that microgravity can have on their bone density and muscles.

Virgin Money London Marathon event director Hugh Brasher said: “Millions of people are following Tim’s mission in space.

“Now is the chance for runners to train with him and help him as he prepares for this extraordinary marathon on the International Space Station.”

Peake, Britain’s first official astronaut, will not be the first person to run a marathon in orbit.

This feat was achieved by US astronaut Sunita Williams who completed the marathon distance on a treadmill in 4hr 23min and 10sec on the same day as the Boston Marathon in April 2007.