Finish line ahead for man 'walking the world'

Ian Mawson has been accompanied by his cockapoo Ollie

A man intent on walking the circumference of the Earth is inviting others to join him for the final mile.

Now approaching the last stretch of a decade-long endeavour, Middlesbrough's Ian Mawson plans to celebrate his 24,901st mile on 1 June.

The 75-year-old will use his final few miles to raise money for children in poverty and hopes to boost the fundraising effort by encouraging others to walk with him.

"I'm not sure what I'll do when I finish, maybe I'll walk all the way back again - or to the moon," he said.

Mr Mawson, a governor at two Middlesbrough primary schools, has always loved walking.

His mission to "walk the world" began after he started using a smartwatch to track his daily steps in 2015.

Almost a decade on, Mr Mawson prides himself on walking 10 miles (16 km) before breakfast and is just 300 miles (483 km) away from completing his quest to circumnavigate the globe.

He expects to finish the mammoth task on Wednesday 12 June at Middlesbrough's Albert Park, where he is hoping to be joined by others.

"There's nothing bad about doing this, it's really enjoyable," he said.

"The most difficult part is when it's pouring down, going out into the cold and wet.

"But I've always loved walking and I'm out every day."

While Mr Mawson's daily treks are usually relatively local circular routes, he has roamed across Teesside, North Yorkshire and the Dales, as well as more far flung places including Scotland, France, Germany and Spain.

'Helping children flourish'

Any money raised will be distributed to schools and community organisations to provide financial support and day-to-day essentials for children.

"As a school governor, I am well aware of the financial struggles some families endure on a daily basis, just to meet their and their children’s basic needs," he said.

“Every child has an absolute right to a secure and joyful childhood with the essential building blocks in place for them to flourish, and together we can help make that happen."

Mr Mawson hopes to inspire individuals and business representatives to take on similar challenges.