Merrien said the heat would be the toughest aspect of the marathon in Barcelona

Guernsey's elite distance runner Lee Merrien is stepping up his training ahead of the European Championships in Barcelona later this month.

Merrien will compete in the marathon for the Great Britain team and is based at a training camp in the Pyrenees.

"It's going to be a tough one, that's for sure, with the hot conditions but I'm up for the challenge," he said.

He added that the training camp is: "a great location as it's only two hours drive from Barcelona."

Merrien said: "It varies depending on where we train but our accommodation is at 1,800m above sea level. There some scientific research that suggests you can improve your endurance and the physiology within your body by training at higher levels.

"So we're doing that as part of our preparations to get ourselves into the best shape."

Merrien was picked for the team after running the selection time in his first ever marathon distance in April.

He will join Andi Jones, Andrew Lemoncello, Ben Moreau, Dan Robinson and Dave Webb in competing for the European Marathon Cup, which is incorporated into the 20th European Athletics Championships beginning on 26 July.

They will race on 1 August.

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