IAIN Cameron can’t think of a better way to mark his 40th birthday than by running 40km around Colchester.

The serving Red Cap is taking on the challenge to raise money for the Forces Charity, which gives help to veterans in need.

Staff Sgt Cameron, who is based at Goojerat Barracks, in Colchester, will leave his Colchester home at 7am on Sunday and hopes to complete the route within four hours.

The route, which he will do two laps of, will take in Ipswich Road, Severalls Lane, Northern Approach, Colchester North Station, the Avenue of Remembrance, Lexden Road, Southway, Butt Road and parts of the Hythe before returning to Ipswich Road.

He said: “It’s not the standard 40th birthday celebration, but since I was in Baghdad, when someone did 50km for their 50th, I always thought I’d like to do something like that.”

In preparation, Sgt Cameron, 39, of Southland Close, in Colchester, completed the Forces March in May.

Its competitors run five marathons in five days to raise money for the Forces Charity.

He added: “From a serving soldier’s point of view, the charity is just incredible.

“In the Army, you just get on with things and I know veterans won’t ask for anything until they are on their back sides.

“The Forces Charity is just there for them and rather than have them fill out all these forms and wait for however long, they just say: ‘you need that, here you go’, which is great.

“Before the Forces March, I hadn’t even done a marathon but I’m banking on being fit enough to get through this one alright.”

Sgt Cameron, who has been in the Army for 22 years, has served in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans and in north Africa.

Wife Karen also plans to keep him company for about 10km of the journey.

She said: “It is definitely different, but that’s Iain.

“He wanted to do something for the charity, which is great.”

The pair will also be supported by members of Colchester DNA Boot Camp.

To sponsor Sgt Cameron, search JustGiving for iain-cameron3.