Former Newsround presenter takes on London Marathon

Thousands of people are getting ready to take part in the London Marathon this weekend, and you might recognise one of them.

That's right! Former Newsround presenter Martin Dougan will be taking part in the famous 26.2 mile race in his wheelchair.

He will be raising money for the children's mobility charity Whizz Kidz, and said he is feeling confident.

The London Marathon is the world's biggest annual one-day fundraising event, and this year it's on Sunday 26 April.

Martin was a Newsround presenter for nine years, from 2013–2022, and was also captain of Scotland's Wheelchair Basketball team.

He was born with cerebral palsy - a physical disability that affects movement and co-ordination - and became a full time wheelchair user at the age of 13.

Martin said he decided to raise money for the charity Whizz Kidz, because the charity supported him with his wheelchair at school and because "there's a real backlog of children waiting for the equipment they need".

He added: "If I can help alleviate even a small part of that, and help a child get the right chair sooner, then every mile is worth it. I want to be able to give back and help others experience what I once did all these years ago."

Speaking about the marathon he said: "I'm confident I can finish in under five hours. I'll start focusing on time next year, if I can do it again, but this one is about the experience and the cause."

The London Marathon begins at Greenwich Park and ends on The Mall, where runners will cross the finish line near Buckingham Palace.

There were 1,133,813 people who applied to compete in the race this year - which is a new world record.

The race is open to anyone over the age of 18, and each year members of the public, serious athletes and some celebrities compete.

This year Cynthia Erivo who plays Elphaba from Wicked has been training hard to compete in the race for the second time.

Daddy Pig, of the Peppa Pig family, is also running to help raise money for the National Deaf Children's Society with Joe Wicks.