A MAN who has lost eight stones will be taking part in this year's London Marathon in memory of his dad.

After losing 12 stones between the two of them, Amanda and Mark Gibbon were crowned Slimming World couple of the year in 2017.

Now, Mr Gibbon - who weighed 20 st 10 1/2 lbs and now is 12st and 1/2 lbs - is getting ready for his next challenge; the London Marathon on Sunday, April 22.

Mr Gibbon, from the Langstone area of Newport, said: “I can’t wait. My dad passed away from cancer 18 months ago so I wanted to do it for him.

“It is for a good cause and will be raising money for Cancer Research.”

The 54-year-old will be running with the Slimming World team. He is the only person in the 10 people team from Wales and, between all of them, they are hoping to raise £10,000.

“The training has been challenging because it has been so wet and cold,” he added. “I started at the end of November and I do several runs through the week, and a long one at the weekend. I must run around 40km a week.”

Before the London Marathon, he will be doing the Newport half marathon, as well as a 10km run in Bristol and one in Cardiff Bay with his wife, he added.

Mr Gibbon said he enjoys being outside, as well as the health benefits he gets from running. He has been told he gained an extra 20 years by losing so much weight.

Wife Amanda – who weighted 13 st 8 ½ lbs and now is 9st 8 ½ lbs - said she was the one that pushed them into losing weight and that it all started one day she went clothes shopping.

“I wasn’t particularly happy as I was a size 16, going up to an 18,” she said. “I am a size 8 to 10 now.

“It took me 10 months to lose all the weight, we started at the end of the end of July 2016.”

Losing all this weight has made a huge difference, the 47-year-old said. For instance, she can now walk upstairs without getting short of breath.

Mrs Gibbon now runs the Tutshill Slimming World on a Thursday evening at 5.30 and 7.30pm.