RUNNING three marathons in as many months is the arduous task facing a 59-year-old Malvern man, who hopes to raise thousands of pounds to help cancer sufferers.

Mike Humm will have clocked up a total of 78.6 miles after he competes in the Wolverhampton, Dublin and Leicester marathons in consecutive months from September.

He is hoping to raise a total of £9,000 in memory of Phil Mico, a microbiologist and immunologist from Malvern, who made a major contribution to the diagnosis of key conditions such as kidney disease and thyroid gland defects.

Mr Mico was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system, in 1980 when he was 34, but died last year.

Mr Humm, who manages the Thornbury Hotel and Shelley's Restaurant, both in Malvern, with his wife Marion, said all the money raised would go to Macmillan Cancer Relief.

He said he knew Mr Mico for a year before he died, as they were both members of the Colwall Rotary Club.

"He was a really good character," said Mr Humm. "When you speak to people who met him they always have a good story to tell - he will be well remembered.

"The reaction from friends and family to his death in 2002 gave me the added incentive to achieve something special in support of his memory and a very worthwhile cause."

Mr Humm completed his first marathon last year when he took part in the London event.

"That was a real achievement and I was looking forward to another stretching target before I reach 60," he said.

Anyone interested in donating money can do so by logging on to www.justgiving.com/mikehumm