tIM

ESA astronaut Tim Peake will participate in the London Marathon in April from the International Space Station (ISS).

The run will begin on 24 April, which will have more than 30,000 athletes participating.

In order to participate, Tim will fasten his shoulders to the treadmill in the tranquility node for more than three hours to complete the marathon 400km above Earth.

Tim, Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and Nasa astronaut Tim Kopra will be launched into space on 15 December.

The former British Army aviator and helicopter test pilot is currently in Kazakhstan for medical check-ups and physical training, as well as to review flight plans.

Peake said: "The thing I’m most looking forward to is that I can still interact with everybody down on Earth.

"I’ll be running it with the iPad and watching myself running through the streets of London whilst orbiting the Earth at 400km."

"I’ll be running it with the iPad and watching myself running through the streets of London whilst orbiting the Earth at 400km.

"I have to wear a harness system that’s a bit similar to a rucksack. It has a waistbelt and shoulder straps.

"That has to provide quite a bit of downforce to get my body onto the treadmill so after about 40 minutes, that gets very uncomfortable.

"I don’t think I’ll be setting any personal bests. I’ve set myself a goal of anywhere between three and a half hours to four hours."

A Soyuz FG rocket, which has taken part in several Russian space missions, will transport the astronauts from Kazakhstan for a six-month mission.

Peake took part in the London Marathon in 1999 and completed the run in three hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds.

Image: Tim Peake preparing for the London Marathon. Image: courtesy of ESA.