TWO runners are gearing up to take on their 250th Andover parkrun next Saturday.

Lance Mitchell, 62, and Matt Jeffrey, 40, are aiming to celebrate their milestone by running the five-kilometre course dressed in the style of the 118-118 TV advert characters but replacing the number with 250.

The keen duo have been taking part in the free running event hosted at Charlton Playing Fields since 2012, and now both men will be completing their 250th run on the same day.

Lance joined up to the Saturday morning track after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and believes taking part has played a big role in him getting fit.

He said: “I used to be in the army and would go charging up mountains and used to be really fit, I was about 12.5 stone. When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was 16.1 stone, I needed to do something about it.

“I put myself in a regime and worked out I could lose 50 pounds in 19 weeks. I did it in 16 weeks.

“To me parkrun is a big thing because it is social and it is getting the nation fit, loads of people are doing it and you are not competing, it is not a race but it is race against yourself.

“There is always company and always people encouraging and encouraging people coming in, I just love it.”

The soon-to-be 118 style icons are estimating their landmark run which they will pace together will take them about 27 minutes.

Currently their personal bests stand at 21.33 minutes for Matt, and 24 minutes for Lance, and once the 250th run is completed, they both have their eye on the next milestone of 500 runs.

The 500 milestone is “admired by all runners”, according to Lance, and is the equivalent to ten years of running.

To find out more about Andover parkrun, go to parkrun.org.uk/andover.