Tim Peake: UK astronaut to run London marathon in space

As he runs on the treadmill his speed will be tracked and a virtual reality app on his iPad will show the streets of London, as if he were running the marathon on Earth

British astronaut Tim Peake looks stands among old space suits on display at the Science Museum in London on 6 November, 2015 (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

British astronaut Tim Peake is planning to run the London Marathon in space.

The 43-year-old hopes to run 26.2 miles on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, 24 April, the same day as more than 37,000 runners will take part in the London Marathon.

To combat weightlessness, he will wear a harness securing him to the treadmill.

Nasa's Sunita Williams previously ran the Boston Marathon on the ISS in 2007.

Mr Peake has run the London Marathon before, finishing with a time of three hours and 18 minutes in 1999.

However, he doubts he will beat his previous time.

"One of the biggest challenges I'll be facing is the harness system," he said. "In microgravity I would float if I didn't strap myself down to the treadmill, so I have to wear a harness system that's a bit similar to a rucksack.

"I don't think I'll be setting any personal bests. I've set myself a goal of anywhere between 3:30 to 4 hours.

"I am running in space to raise awareness of The Prince's Trust, which has a team running on the ground - Team Astronaut - while I'm running on the ISS."

As he runs on the treadmill his speed will be tracked and a virtual reality app on his iPad will show the streets of London, as if he were running the marathon on Earth.

Mr Peake, who is the first Briton to be selected by the European Space Agency for an ISS mission, is due to fly to the space station via Soyuz rocket on 15 December.