Former SAS soldier breaks Guinness World Record in Leeds

Nick Grainge, from South Wales, ran the Grim up North Marathon with an 80 pound Bergen rucksack strapped to his back on Saturday, October 26.

The 45-year-old managed to complete the marathon in 5 hours, 39 minutes and 17 seconds - beating the previous record holder Michael Barker who ran it in 5 hours and 43 minutes in 2016.

Mr Grainge took on the challenge to show people that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

He said: "I wanted to prove to people that anyone can bring themselves up from nothing.

"You can do anything if you just put your mind to something. You can achieve what you want.

"It's not about being the fittest, it is just about being the best you can be and getting healthier."

The father-of-one joined the British Armed Forces in 1992 before joining the SAS, working as a Personal Training Instructor.

He left the armed forces in the mid-2000s and then worked in civilian security in Middle East for 11 years.

Nick credits this experience in the military and his passion for weighted fitness for inspiring him to set up his own company, Elite Outdoor Fitness, which he founded in 2014.

Nick said: "During my military career, I initially worked with people who had sustained catastrophic injuries but later began training all kinds of people.

"When I left the forces I was determined and invested in starting my own company to help people.

"We work with all different kinds of people and it's not just about weight loss, it's about building confidence and improving people's lives."

Nick, was supported by friends, family and clients during his world record breaking attempt and was also tracked by social media users on the app Strava.

He credits this sense of support and community as the key to any success.

He said: "You don't achieve much on your own, you do with lots of people around you supporting you.

"We've changed peoples lives but we do it as a group. It's a great community.

"It's all about taking yourself out of your comfort zone with people around that support you.

He added: ""My family are very proud of me though I think my wife thinks I'm a bit mad - though I think they've got used to me doing mad things.

"The marathon has taken a lot of hard work and effort because it is way off the scale but I really wanted to inspire others.

"If more people take the challenge to make themselves fitter and stronger, the world would be much more positive."

The world record attempt raised more than £1,800 for Age Cymru, a charity which supporters older people in Wales.