A WIRRAL dad is set to take on a gruelling half marathon with an unusual twist in aid of injured soldiers and sick children.

Wallasey-born Ash Cox, who is based in Plymouth with the Royal Marines, has signed up to ‘burpee’ his way through the Plymouth Half Marathon.

The 26-year-old plans to stand out from the crowd at the event, which is held on April 28, by doing the tricky exercise move for the whole route.

A burpee involves moving from a standing position into a squat with your hands on the ground. The person then extends their feet back in one quick motion to the front ‘plank’ position before returning to a squat and standing up.

And Ash, who is soon to be a father-of-two, said he is confident he will complete his mammoth challenge to raise cash for Help For Heroes and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He said: “It all started as a bit of a joke after I did four laps of the running track doing burpees and then it turned into this!

"It’s going to be very tough but I have been training regularly and I know I can do it.

“I am actually starting the day before the event so I can finish with everyone else but I don’t care if it takes three or four days – I am determined to complete it.”

Ash, who is a physical training instructor army commando, has so far raised around £300 for his chosen charities but is hoping to pull in thousands for the worthy causes.

And there is also talk of the project breaking world records due to its massive distance.

He added: “We’re waiting to hear whether it can be entered into the record books because we don’t think anyone has done something like this before but we’re not completely sure yet.

“But the main thing is we raise money for the charities – Help For Heroes is very close to my heart as I have seen directly the good work they do for soldiers and their families.

“I chose Great Ormond Street because my wife, Lindsay, and I know we are so lucky to have a healthy son and want to help others in a less fortunate situation.”

To sponsor Ash’s burpee half marathon, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Ash-Cox and http://www.justgiving.com/Ash-Cox1