FROM the Roman Walls to the Circus Maximus, a Chester athlete is joining a Parkinson’s sufferer on a challenge of a lifetime.

Personal trainer, Dave Clamp, 52, of Wrexham Road, Chester, and Alex Flynn, 39, from Oxfordshire, are running to the Italian capital.

This will mean running 60 miles a day, every day for 30 days, in order to cover the 1,800 miles between London and Rome.

The overall mission is to run 10m metres in order to raise £1m for research into the disease.

Setting off from Marble Arch on June 10, the pair will run first to Folkestone and then across the cliffs of Dover at sunrise.

Their route then winds through Belgium and France, then on to Italy, taking in major cities along the way.

Dave is sure of one thing – that they will cross the finish line at Rome’s Circus Maximus.

“We’re going to really suffer with tendonitis, sore knees and blisters in particular.

“But I just know we’re going to do it. Parkinson’s is such a terrible illness, which at the moment has no cure.

“Most people think that it only happens with older people, but one in 20 get early on-set Parkinson’s which is what Alex has.

“Any kind of activity helps but I think mentally, he is running to beat this disease.”

Although Dave is used to long distance running, having finished 2nd in the Deca Ironman world championships last year, this charity mega-marathon is a new kind of challenge.

“The furthest I’ve ever run in one race is about 300 miles,” said Dave. “You really can’t fully prepare yourself for this kind of distance.

“My job, as the more experienced runner, is to make everything seem easy as well, which is an extra pressure.”