A SWINDON iron man forced to postpone a mammoth 100-mile charity run last year has vowed to give it another shot.

Determined Brian Hall had hoped to complete the one-day run equivalent to nearly four marathons in the summer.

But in May the plans were put on hold when he was struck down with kidney stones.

Since then he has spent about 30 days in the Great Western Hospital, where he has undergone several scans and check-ups.

Now the 21-year-old, who is recovering at his home in Dean Street, Rodbourne, following a three-hour operation to remove one of the troublesome stones last week, says he can't wait to put his running shoes back on and return to training.

"I was devastated when I found out I couldn't do the run because of the stones," said Brian.

"I love my sports and was really down for a while. I was also planning to do a Duke of Edinburgh expedition to Kenya later this year but I've had to cancel that as I haven't been able to put in the necessary training.

"At first I tried to ignore the pain and kept on with the running but one day I only got four miles down the road before I was in agony. An ambulance had to be called."

Brian, who works at the outdoor store Mountain Warehouse in the Great Western Designer Outlet Village and is also a special constable, is hoping the run, which he now hopes to complete this summer, will raise more than £1,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The inspiration behind the challenge came from his 16-year-old cousin Kimberly, who suffers from the condition.

He said: "I have watched her grow up with the illness and I just decided I wanted to do something to help her and other sufferers. She has been through so much."

Before he became ill, Brian was running a marathon every weekend.

In addition he was completing three 10-mile routes a week.

To help get his fitness levels back up he is planning a "warm-up" 50-mile run in three month's time.

Any sponsorship money will go to a children's unit at the GWH.

"The nurses have been brilliant if it wasn't for them I would still be in a lot of pain," he said.

His cousin Kimberly, who lives in Bosham Close, Toothill said: "I am very grateful to Brian. He is not only helping me but lots of other people too.

"I have every confidence that he will do it."

Brian said his spirits were lifted when his idol Swindon explorer David Hempleman-Adams recently called into the store where he works to buy a pair of boots.

"I told him about the run and the operation and he wished me luck," he said.

"It's given me a big lift and I am more determined than ever to do it."

Kevin Shoesmith