Ray Matthews, an 85-year-old runner from Rotherham, is preparing to take on the Bigfoot 200 ultra-marathon in the USA next August, a 200-mile (322km) race through Washington State's Cascade Mountains. The challenge is the latest in a long line of extreme feats for Matthews, who marked his 75th birthday by running 75 marathon distances in 75 days, and he says his enthusiasm for pushing his limits shows no sign of fading with age.

Ahead of his American trip, Matthews recently travelled to Bangkok to appear in a television commercial after his wife spotted an insurance company's social media search for fit, energetic over-70s; he was selected after submitting a treadmill video and details of his running history. Running has also underpinned his fundraising for causes including Age UK Rotherham and Rotherham's Newman School, which supports children with special educational needs, and he regularly visits schools to encourage children to stay active, describing movement as "medicine".