The British Heart Foundation is challenging people in the East to complete a marathon after it revealed two fifths of East Anglian residents have confessed that they get out of breath running for the bus.

A poll conducted by the foundation found that 43 per cent of adults in the East said if they went running now, the furthest they could manager is only a mile and a half or less.

One in five felt they could only make it 100 metres.

In response to the startling statistics, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is challenging people in East Anglia to complete 26.2 miles in their own time – whether it’s over four hours, four days or four weeks – as part of its MyMarathon campaign.

Senior Cardiac Nurse at the BHF, Christopher Allen, said: “These statistics are concerning, and paint a worrying picture about the nation’s fitness levels. Heart disease can affect anyone at any age, but keeping physically active is one of the best ways to help build a strong and healthy heart so we shouldn’t ignore the benefits.

“Running a marathon is no easy feat, but with the MyMarathon challenge you decide the place and the pace, so it’s a great way for people of all fitness levels to get active and help support our vital research. Now everyone can say they’ve run a marathon this May.”

In East Anglia alone, over 646,000 people are living with heart and circulatory disease, which kills 155,000 people in the UK every year.

Every pound raised from MyMarathon will go towards BHF’s half a billion pound target, with the funds being invested in new research over the next five years, to revolutionise and accelerate the fight against heart disease.

For more information, or to sign up now, visit www.bhf.org.uk/mymarathon.