A KEEN runner is to run the perimeter of Yorkshire to raise money for a charity which tackles male suicide.

Ben Davis, from Harrogate, will run more than 450 miles and take in 41,000 ft of elevation – higher than Mount Everest – whilst carrying his camping equipment on his back.

He will be setting off on August 1, Yorkshire Day, from Scarborough and is aiming to finish back where he started in just 18 days. It is the equivalent of a marathon a day.

As if that’s not enough, he plans to even include some Yorkshire-based activities on the way, including sheep shearing and skydiving.

He will be raising money for CALM – the Campaign Against Living Miserably – a movement taking a stand against male suicide, after experiencing his own battles with mental health issues.

Ben said the idea came to him whilst running around the Stray in Harrogate, an area he had run countless times.

“I wondered what was the biggest lap I could run around my hometown? Then it came to me; a lap of Yorkshire,” he said.

Ben said he began running a couple of years ago, which changed his life.

“I need a big challenge,” he said.

“I started running a couple of years ago. Running has changed my life, and me. I started out about five stone heavier than I am now and smoking a couple of packets a day, last year I ran six marathons and now it’s time to up the stakes.”

You can find out all about the project at; http://runningyorkshire.com/ A map of the proposed route can be found here: https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MTkwNTUyMA