Dean Baker will achieve what no other Englishman has done for seven years at the Hastings Half Marathon on Sunday.

The 41-year-old swimming pool manager from Bexhill will beat the cream of Kenya's long distance runners across the finish line, not just once but three times.

Not content with running a paltry 13.1 miles like the other 4,300 entrants in what is now officially the top half marathon in the United Kingdom, Baker will complete the course four times in a row.

While the favourites for the race are still in their beds Baker, who claims to being "a bit lazy", will be pounding the streets of Hastings on his own.

He said: "I'm going to set off at about 12.30am and hope to complete my third lap and be back at the start line in time for the main race at 10.30am.

"While everyone else will be fresh and raring to go I'll be absolutely knackered before the race even begins but I'm still determined to clock a reasonable time.

"Realistically, I would like to do it in under three hours and my ego would love to beat 12 hours for the whole thing but I think my body might have other ideas."

Baker knows a bit about what he is letting himself in for, having run the Hastings Half Marathon - which is now in its 20th year - on eight previous occasions, with a best time of 1hr.40min.

He has taken on the gruelling challenge as part of his preparations for the Marathon Des Sables, which he is due to compete in next month to raise money for St Mary's Special School in Bexhill where he works.

The 150-mile race across the Sahara Desert claims to be the toughest in the world and will make Sunday's run look like a walk in the park.

He said: "I have been told to expect temperatures of about 120 degrees so I have been doing some of my training in the sauna at Bexhill Leisure Centre to acclimatise.

"We also have to carry everything we need such as food, water and a sleeping bag but I'm not taking any spare clothes so I'll be stinking by the end of it!

"The race is spread out over six days and the longest stage is 50 miles but as you have to go around the sand dunes it can be anything up to 80 miles.

"Sunday will give me some idea what it is like to run those kind of distances but I'm not sure it is going to be quite as hot at one in the morning in Hastings."

The only Sussex runner with any realistic hope of competing with the top Kenyans for the £2,000 first prize is the in-form James Baker.

The Chichester Runners star has won the Sussex Beacon and Eastbourne Half Marathons in recent weeks but will need to smash his lifetime best of 68min.11sec to stand a chance of upsetting two-times winner Simon Kasmili or Lezan Kimutai.

Baker is favourite to win the Sussex AAA Half Marathon Championships, which is incorporated in the race, unless Brighton and Hove City AC's Paul Froud or Phoenix AC's Dave Carter pull off a shock.

The women's race is likely to be the most open for years due to the lack of foreign runners. Brighton and Hove's former UK international Julia Armstrong is among the favourites.

Crawley AC's Caroline Horne, now 47, will be going for her third victory spread over three different decades after winning the title in 1985 and 1997.

The race starts from Sea Road, St Leonards, at 10.30am and finishes at the same place.

To sponsor Dean Baker call him on 01424 734309.