EARLY starts and physical exhaustion are two things many marathon runners are familiar with as they prepare for their gruelling challenges.

But getting up at 3am in sub-zero temperatures takes James Byfield’s dedication to a whole new level.

James, 23, from Colchester, managed to run 95 miles in seven days to tie in with the 95th anniversary of Lepra’s inauguration as a charity last week.

He said: “I was trying to aim for 13 miles a day but because there was snow forecast I decided to do more miles earlier on in the week.

“I started with a few 14-mile runs then the most I did was last Monday which was 14 miles in the morning and six in the evening.

“I was getting up at 3am, going for a run, then going to work afterwards.” James, a marketing, communications and fundraising assistant at Lepra’s Colchester headquarters, got up at 3am twice – and on two other days it was a 4am start.

He said: “You just have to jump out of bed.

“I just looked forward to the breakfast afterwards – that was my main motivation.”

Coupled with the unsociable starts was the bitterly cold weather, dipping to minus 5 degrees Celsius on the last day of his challenge on Thursday.

Thankfully James had just five and a half miles to plod through.

He added: “It was a relief - and I didn’t need to get up early that morning.

“I was certainly looking forward to a lie in on my day off the next day.

“The majority of my colleagues think I am mad for getting up so early and going running but they were really supportive and gave me a certificate which I wasn’t expecting.”

James is no stranger to marathon running but takes it all in his stride.

He said: “The first marathon I did was with no training, that was in 2017 in Northern Ireland – it was just six hours of jogging and walking.

“I have done Brighton and did half of Madrid about a week later

but had to give up half way because of the heat.”

James now has a few weeks to recover before he takes on another three marathons in three consecutive months – Paris, Ottawa and Stockholm, all in aid of Lepra.

He is happy to complete the courses but would like to finish Stockholm within four hours.

He said: “I’m a bit of a recreational runner but it is just the atmosphere of the race.”

Lepra recently launched a petition urging people to stop using the word “leper” or

leprosy as a metaphor for any negative situation.

The international charity works to beat leprosy, a disease which can cause life-changing disabilities, but there is a cure.

The petition can be found at bit.ly/BeatLeprosyWLD.

To sponsor James visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesByfield.