A RUNNER famed for his charity antics is celebrating having pounded the pavement daily for the last 4,000 days with a cricket-inspired stunt.

Paul Smith, who vowed to go running every day as a new year resolution in 2007, decided to do 40 miles around the boundary of Durham County Cricket Club’s ground in Chester-le-Street to mark the “runstreak”.

Dressed in cricket whites, including Ben Stokes’ jumper, the challenge involved 126 laps of the pitch, which took him just over seven hours to complete. He was regularly joined throughout the day by friends, including The Northern Echo's sports editor Nick Loughlin who ran 15 miles alongside him.

He said: “It was good, I kept going. It was tough mind but people came down to support and did a few laps. Thanks to the cricket club for lending us the pitch for the day.

“Tomorrow will be interesting. I think 5km is going to hurt.”

The 54-year-old, from Sherburn Hill, near Durham, is raising money for Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society – charities which have become close to his heart following the diagnosis of his mother with the disease.

The Hartlepool United fan is well-known for his charity challenges, which have seen him raising money for a range of good causes.

He said: “Like my previous fundraising running challenges once again it is going to be a unique, quirky, crazy and dizzy challenge which will be tough both physically and mentally.

“But to be honest it’s easier than the last twelve months have been with my mum.

“I didn’t know that much about Alzheimer’s before and I think a lot of people think its just memory loss but it’s not. It’s a complete change of character.”

He added: “Hopefully my forty mile running around in circles at Durham County Cricket Club can help to raise much needed awareness and funds for both of these worthwhile causes.”

Since starting his runstreak almost 11 years ago, he has been running at least 5km a day and marks personal milestones with charity challenges.

Over the last decade, the Durham County Council worker has run from York to Durham while dressed as St Cuthbert, done 30 miles around the centre circle on the football pitch at Consett and run to 100 North-East war memorials to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

He has so far raised more than £800, which will be split between the two charities.