A FITNESS fan who used to be a Cirque du Soleil soloist is running from Bath to London as you read this.

Darren Tait from Park North set off on the 115-,mile journey yesterday morning and kept going through the night to hopefully finish by the 27th hour.

This exhausting run is part of his preparation for an Iron Man event in Wales in September.

He's taken on these challenges to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society in memory of his grandmother, who died eight years ago from the condition.

Darren said: "I wanted to do something positive for a good cause in memory of my nan.

"It was devastating and heartbreaking when she died.

"I didn't know much about Alzheimer's before she had it.

"It's so common, everyone knows someone who's affected.

"My stepdad's mum has it too, and it runs in my family.

"If I could make a difference through doing this, or inspire others to raise money, that would be amazing."

The Iron Man event involves swimming for 2.4 miles, then running for 26 miles and cycling for 112 miles over hilly terrain.

Darren hopes to complete it in under 12 hours.

He added: "This Iron Man event is something I've been preparing for for a long time, mentally and physically.

"It sounds crazy but I'm actually looking forward to it,

"I've done a lot of these runs but this one is the longest so far, it'll be a gruelling battle.

"I've always enjoyed hardcore training regimes - I was in Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE show in Vegas, their training is incredibly tough.

"Then I worked in LA as a stuntman and got really into fitness when I came back to England.

"I did a run from London to Brighton and decided that, since I'd put in so much training, I should keep going and do more.

"When I'm going through these runs, it's all about pushing my limits and testing my mental and physical strength.

"I want to channel all this energy I have into raising money."

Darren has also appeared in Super Bowl commercials, and the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games and Royal Variety performance.

He/'s documenting his Iron Man training with a series of videos, with Team GB athletes, Ninja Warrior winners, and other famous faces making guest appearances.

To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/ironmanmystory and follow his progress on facebook.com/ironmantait