Eye of the tiger: Marathan aim for ''Blind Dave''

Sydney, Jan 13 (UNI) A blind Briton will soon pound the city streets in an attempt to become the first disabled person to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

Dave Heeley, known as ''Blind Dave'', has chosen Sydney as the fourth leg of his record-breaking mission, which begins in April in the Falkland Islands and ends in London.

The 50-year-old was currently undertaking a rigorous training schedule and hoped his ''Seven Magnificent Marathons'' mission would and raise awareness about visually impaired people, besides raising millions of dollars for guide dogs.

Mr Heeley, accompanied by his sighted guide Malcolm Carr, would spend only about 15 hours in the city to race across the Sydney Harbour Bridge past the Opera House and through Centennial Park.

''It'll be a whistlestop tour but it'll be nice to have my feet in the country,'' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.

Before arriving in Sydney on April 10, he is scheduled to have completed three gruelling marathons in the Falkland Islands, Santiago and Los Angeles.

He was also planning to head to Dubai then Nairobi and finish his quest by competing in the London Marathon on April 13.

Mr Heeley would start running more than 290 km a week as part of his rigorous training and would have to cope with snatching a few hours sleep on various planes and jet lag during his week-long record attempt.

The Briton drew inspiration from British adventurers Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud about how they became the first men to complete seven marathons on seven continents in as many days.

UNI XC SYU RN1736