A CHANCE remark in a pub started John East running - and now he is in training for the New York Marathon.

The 46-year-old married man said he was "a typical middle-aged couch potato with a beer belly" when he announced in the pub that he was going to run last year's London Marathon.

His entry was accepted and he felt obliged to do it, completing the course in 4hr 15 min, in aid of the cystic fibrosis unit at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.

"It was in the middle of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, when a lot of races were cancelled, so the marathon was actually my first ever race," said John, who lives in Flyford Flavel.

He went on to complete the Great North Run in September and is now thoroughly hooked, with the prospect of running the New York Marathon in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

His wife, Lynne, who has cystic fibrosis, and their 10-year-old son, Simon, will join him on the trip to the US.

The disease, caused by a faulty gene, affects more than 7,500 people in the UK and is the most common life-threatening inherited disease.

Simon, who is a pupil at The King's School, Worcester, plans to take part in the junior section of the Great North Run this year, when his father will see him run for the first time.

"He usually takes part in the fun run while I am running, but this time his run is on the Saturday and mine is on the Sunday," explained John.

With the marathon still four months away, he is running about 30 miles a week in training and has already worn out one pair of training shoes.