TWO men are attempting to complete a staggering eight marathons in 24 hours to raise money for the cystic fibrosis patients at the University Hospital Llandough.

Golf coach Mark Govier, from Mumbles, and gym instructor Gareth Burgess, from Gowerton, who both work at Machynys Peninsula Golf Club, will each cover more than 104 miles on the treadmill, rowing machine and exercise bike, bringing the total distance covered to more than 208 miles.

Their amazing fundraising challenge, in aid of the Better Life Appeal, will begin at 7pm on Friday night (January 23) and end at 7pm on Saturday, when a charity auction will be held at the golf club.

Prizes at the auction include rugby star George North’s boots and other signed sporting memorabilia.

Mark Govier said: “We’re each doing a marathon run, then a marathon row, then a cycle then another run – everyone we’ve told says we’re mad, but it’s made us more determined!

“We’ve always done fundraising for the Better Life Appeal because a friend’s daughter has cystic fibrosis and had a double lung transplant. So we’ve seen first-hand the great work they do at the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre at Llandough. The Better Life Appeal raises money to improve facilities at the unit – we’re asking as many people as possible to please donate and help patients with cystic fibrosis.”

The All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, based at Llandough Hospital, is the only adult cystic fibrosis centre in Wales, caring for almost 250 patients.Young adults transfer to the adult centre from paediatric services in Wales at the age of 16-18. By 2015, it is expected that the centre will care for more than 350 patients across Wales.

The Better Life Appeal is to improve services by providing patients at the centre with the most modern medical equipment available.

Mark and Gareth certainly have a gruelling challenge ahead of them, which would be daunting for the most accomplished runner. But, for Mark, it will be particularly ambitious.

“I’ve never done a marathon before!” he laughed.

“But we’ll do it.”

To donate, please visit Mark and Gareth’s JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/gareth-mark8marathons/