Rhys Jenkins, a local Penarth resident, set off on his mammoth running fundraiser which spans across 870-mile of Welsh Coastal Path.

He is doing so to raise money for three charities: CF Warriors, NSPCC and Maggie's.

So far he has raised £908.00 and as he sets off on his first day he hopes to raise more as the challenge continues.

The trail will take place over 20 days starting in Chester and ending in Chepstow.

Of course, one of the destinations he will pass through his hometown in Penarth, which will be on the 19th day.

Mr Jenkins explained: ''This summer I will run the full 870 miles of the great Wales Coast Path. Starting in the North and running South I will cover every inch of the world's first-ever coast path.

"The journey will begin in Chester and end in Chepstow.

"To give you a sense of the challenge ahead - it is the equivalent of running 33.2 marathons and climbing the height of Everest 4.5 times.

"I will attempt to set a new record for running the entire coastal path of Wales.

"This challenge scares me, therefore I must do it. I don't know if it's possible but I will aim to run 45 miles a day and cover the full 870 miles in 19.5 days.

"There will be highs and there will be lows, it will push me harder than ever before and you know what, this excites me."

Rhys and his wife Cerys Jenkins are the co-creators of Pegasus Ultra Running. They've spent the last decade running and organising challenges around the globe.

Rhys is a seasoned ultramarathon fanatic having spent the last decade compiling an impressive repertoire of race completions.

They had planned their first Penarth based event for this summer but due to coronavirus, it was unable to take place.

To donate to the fantastic causes and support Rhys' challenging task click here.

Mr Jenkins will need to complete the course in under 20 days to beat the current World Record set by James Harcombe in 2017.

To track his progress click here