An energetic 64-year-old is setting his stopwatch and donning his running shoes to take part in his 50th marathon.

Mike Morfey, from Sherwood Avenue in Streatham Vale, ran his first 26.2 mile marathon in 1984 and became so hooked on the experience that he has ran another 48 since, raising an impressive £23,000 for various charities, including Barnados, cancer charities and the MS Society, in the process.

During this time he has taken part in 20 London Marathons, as well as others in New York, Hong Kong, Berlin and Morocco.

The dad-of-one is now preparing for his 50th marathon - the Flora London Marathon taking place on April 13. This time he is running for the London Symphony Orchestra Discovery - the LSO's education and community programme. Mike works part time for the orchestra and has attended their concerts for 50 years.

"After my first marathon I was hooked," said Mike, who runs to work in central London as part of his training. "I just enjoy running, being out in the open air and being able to go wherever you want," he said. "And running doesn't cost much - all you need is a decent pair of shoes.

"My friends and family come to cheer me on whenever I run, even after doing so many. I always feel embarrassed asking for money each year but I have a nucleus of people who always give generously."

"Nowadays I'm not as fast as I used to be, and my average time is about four hours and 15 minutes. I think I'm probably one of the few people to have run 20 London Marathons."

Mike said his advice to people running it for the first time this year is to not push yourself too much. "People get worried about keeping up with other runners but it's important to go at your own pace," he explained.

"This 50th marathon will mark my slowing down and I'm going to ease off after this one, although I'd still love to do one in Tokyo."

Sponsor Mike by visiting justgiving.com/mikemorfey