EVER wondered why marathon runners put themselves through it?

Bishop’s Waltham runner Phil Hewitt is revealing the answers in his book Keep on Running: The Highs and Lows of a Marathon Addict, detailing some of the 26 marathons he has competed in.

Phil, 48, of Tennyson Close, Bishop’s Waltham, has taken part in some of the most famous races in the world including both the London and New York marathons.

He said: “Marathons make you miserable, but they also give you the most unlikely and the most indescribable pleasures. It’s a world that I love – a world unlocked when you dress up in lycra, put plasters on your nipples and run 26.2 miles in the company of upwards of 30,000 complete strangers.”

He added: “The most magical marathon I have ever run was New York City, just a couple of years after 9/11 on a stunning November day with Central Park looking astonishingly beautiful in all its autumn colours under brilliant blue skies.

“New York City was wonderfully alive that day – a terrific tribute to all those who had perished in the atrocity.”

The book is priced at £8.99 and is available from April 2.