MARCUS Brueton can expect to be severely saddle sore on Sunday morning – as he will have just cycled from London to Edinburgh in 24 hours.

A member of Croydon cycling club Norwood Paragon, if he completes the challenge he will have pedalled a staggering 420 miles.

A former Whitgift School pupil and a keen cyclist since the age of 11 he has been training hard for the challenge in aid of The Children's Trust.

Marcus and former work colleague James Starling, 41, are due to head off tomorrow at 6am from Hyde Park.

There will only be a few brief stops on the way and they will have to average 17.5 miles an hour to succeed in their goal.

If the weather is bad, however, they will postpone the trek for a week.

Marcus, who used to live in Furze Lane, Purley, but now lives in Reigate, said: "I'm really excited about the bike ride. It's a very long distance and will be a challenge.

"I chose The Children's Trust because it is the charity my company (Toyota) supports.

"Through work I've got to know about the excellent work it does, caring for children with brain damage or severe disabilities.

"James and I have so far raised about £100 in sponsorship but the target is £500.

"Anything over that amount would be a bonus."

Marcus knows how well children with medical problems respond to care and treatment.

His father was until recently a paediatrician working at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Marcus was afflicted as a child with a rare condition for 18 months.

At the age of seven he was diagnosed with Perthes' Disease – chronic arthritis of the hip – which left him wheelchair-bound for three months, and then on special crutches for over a year.

Support Marcus at www.justgiving.com/Marcus-BruetonLondon-Edinburgh-in-24hrs.