Royal start for long trek

HRH The Duke of York will start the Flora 1000 Mile Challenge on 2 March at 4pm, it was announced today.

"A Royal presence will make the day even more special for the six people in this historic challenge," said race director David Bedford.

Starting from The Mall, the competitors will each try to complete 1000 miles in 1000 hours and then run the Flora London Marathon on 13 April - the equivalent of walking to Naples.

To make it even tougher, only one mile can be completed each hour, reducing sleep to the minimum.