A FORMER Wantage schoolboy is training to run the New York City Marathon.

In a gruelling six-month training schedule, Ryan Liquorish has already run half marathons in Swansea, Bristol and Cardiff and full marathons in Guernsey and Birmingham.

And, on Saturday, as a final training exercise before the Big Apple on November 5, he attempted to run a punishing 20 miles in three hours on a treadmill in Wantage town centre, in front of the Fitness Space gym.

The 25-year-old was also hoping to garner a bit more sponsorship for the blood cancer charity he is supporting and luckily, he achieved both his goals.

Mr Liquorish, who went to King Alfred's Academy in Wantage and now works in the marketing department at Maserati in Slough, said: "It went really well.

"I managed to finish even quicker than I'd hoped at two hours at 54 minutes – it's just New York to go now."

Mr Liquorish, who lives in Woking but regularly visits his mum and dad in Wantage, set himself a target of raising $3,000 (£2,275) for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation based in Connecticut, which funds research into the rare form of blood cancer.

He has now raised $3,970 but is still welcoming donations before he takes on the TCS New York Marathon on November 5.

Sponsor Mr Liquorish online at endurance.themmrf.org/2017NYCMarathon/RyanLiquorish