Meet the man walking the London marathon backwards

Thousands of people will be taking part in the event

The London Marathon takes place next month and thousands of people are gearing up to take part in the famous race.

It's not unusual to spot some strange sights on the day, from people dressed up in crazy costumes to runners breaking wacky records during the event.

Lots of celebrities are often seen running in the marathon too.

This year, one man is planning to complete the big race backwards!

Tom will be walking the 26.2 mile marathon backwards

46-year-old Tom Harrison is no stranger to the marathon. He crawled the 26.2 mile race dressed as a gorilla back in 2017 and says he's completing the challenge backwards as a way of "looking over my shoulder" for Ukraine.

He says he hopes his idea would help to publicise the cause, with funds being donated to Red Cross to support Ukrainians impacted by the war with Russia.

"At school we had a motto which was in Latin and it translated to: Look forward and look back," he said.

"It meant look at what you've achieved, look at what you've done and where you've come from - don't forget that - but also look forward to the future and what's still to come and what you can still achieve.

"I'm going to keep that in mind for the walk because I'm going forward but also looking backwards."

The marathon often sees lots of wacky outfits

So how has Tom been preparing for the marathon? He says taking his two sons to football training has served as a great way to perfect his backwards walking.

"When the boys are training or playing a match, I'll walk backwards around some of the pitches," he said.

"I normally spare them the embarrassment of walking backwards around the pitch they're playing on."

The local cricket pitch is also a great space for Tom to the father of two to practice.

"Having a line - like on a football or cricket pitch - makes it easier to navigate", he added.

Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the men's race in 2022

To avoid crashing into his fellow runners, Tom plans to begin the marathon at the back on the day.

"I will be slower but at least if I start at the back I won't be in anyone's way", he said.

"And navigation wise, I'm just going to have to use the curb as my guide really.

"Honestly, the opportunity to get going and seeing the crowds - that's really what makes the marathon", he added.