Joe Addison has barely put a foot wrong in his six months of marathon training.

The 29-year-old has ditched his running shoes and is preparing to run the 26-mile Brighton and London Marathons barefoot.

Father-of-two Mr Addison smoked for 15 years but has turned his life around and is now a running fanatic with sensitive soles.

The surface of his feet have been toughened up by the rigorous weekly runs across Brighton and Hove but he insists they are still a pretty pair.

Mr Addison, of Burstead Close, Brighton, has spent six months running around Preston Park in Brighton and on the seafront to prepare to run in both the London and Brighton Marathons in April.

He said: “There have been a couple of times I have stepped on glass, but I just pull it out and carry on.

”The streets in Brighton are quite good actually there isn’t a lot of glass or litter but you do have to constantly scan the ground to miss things.”

Mr Addison will be running for charity VICTA for children with visual impairments.

To sponsor Mr Addison or make a donation go to http://www.bmycharity.com/V2/joeaddison.