My 200-marathons goal before I'm 50

But for Shropshire's Jon Aston, it is so much more than that.

Since the 49-year-old father started running in 2005 he has kept a log of every run – all 2,000 of them.

He has run 14,465 miles – an average of seven and half miles a time – and last week he completed his 188th marathon in Snowdon.

Jon wants to complete 200 marathons by his 50th birthday in April next year. He's even made running a family affair – his wife Sarah has completed 150 marathons herself.

But it was only after some choice words nine years ago from his doctor, who ordered him to do something to lose weight, that Jon – then weighing more than 17 stone – decided to take up running.

He says that decision has completely changed his life.

"I was just over 17 stone before I started running, and I lost a lot of weight quickly, and got down to around 10 stone," he said. "I would like to be about 12 stone.

"I have completed 188 marathons so far, including Snowdon last weekend, and I hope to have taken part in 200 by my 50th birthday next April, and my aim after that will be to work on my speed as I am not a very fast runner.

"Later in November I will be running in the Cornish Marathon, which being in Cornwall will be the 33rd British county I will have run a marathon in.

"But I am also currently trying to complete the challenge of running in a marathon in fifty different counties, and so far I have ran marathons in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, America, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Hungary and Spain," he said.

"I run probably five times a week if I can, and sometimes I run to work, sometimes I might cycle, as it is only a couple of miles away, and it is quicker than using my car," he said.

Last year he took part in the 145 mile Grand Union Canal Race, and says it was the most challenging thing he has ever done.

He said Snowdon is his favourite marathon and is even planning on running the 26.2 marathon route back-to-front, before completing the officially marathon next time.

Jon, who is a nurse at the Princess Royal Hospital, and his wife Sarah, 47, are both members of the Wrekin Road Runners, and travel all over the world to take part in marathons. They were today taking part in the 5K Telford parkrun, which is held every Saturday.

Jon, who is from Shawbirch in Telford, said: "Sarah and I have even been joined on our foreign marathon trips by fellow Wrekin Road Runner Mark Evans and his wife Yvonne and next May we all are going to run the Prague Marathon."

"Being part of a club has really helped me, it is great to train with others, get their advice and tips and run in club colours. It makes you feel as if you almost a proper athlete.

"I entered a couple of 10K races to give me something to work towards, and then I decided to do the London Marathon, and after that I got the bug to run marathons, and have since ran the New York marathon.

"Me and my wife are trying to run as many marathons in other counties as we possibly can, and so far we have ran in 35 but are trying to get that number up to 50.

"We try to do one marathon abroad a year. This way we get to see places we would not normally see, and we have made so many friends through our running club the Wrekin Road Runners."

Jon did his first 10K run in 2005 and a year later took part in the London Marathon, completing it in four hours and 35 minutes.