British Astronaut Set To Run London Marathon From Space

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) — Britain's first official astronaut will run the London Marathon from space.

Timothy Peake says he's ready to run the London Marathon in 1½ weeks — from 250 miles up and he's not expecting to set a personal record.

In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, the astronaut said he's glad he's had plenty of time to get used to the International Space Station treadmill. He says the biggest challenge is the harness he wears to keep his feet on the treadmill in weightlessness. It tends to rub his shoulders and waist.

Peake hopes to finish the 26.2-mile race on April 24th in under four hours. He ran it in 3 hours and 15 minutes in 1999.

It will be the second space marathon: U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams took part in the 2007 Boston Marathon.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.