KEEPING fit was never high on the list of Andrew Hindhaugh s hobbies. An occasional game of golf or squash was sufficient to test his stamina. That was until last summer when he suddenly had a desire to run the Flora London Marathon. He wanted to make mor

KEEPING fit was never high on the list of Andrew Hindhaugh's hobbies.

An occasional game of golf or squash was sufficient to test his stamina.

That was until last summer when he suddenly had a desire to run the Flora London Marathon.

He wanted to make more people aware of the need to understand autism because his son, Alex, six, suffers from the condition.

Now all the pounding of the streets alone in the winter months has steered Andrew, an engineer and well known in Sandy for his discos and bouncy castle, to the very brink of the world's greatest public marathon.

"Once I had said I was running in the marathon I couldn't go back. A friend of mine is supporting me and will keep me company during the race," said Andrew, who will be watched on the big day by wife Abbie, daughter Anya, and of course Alex.

"I have been training since September and two weeks ago ran my longest event the Silverstone half marathon which I finished in 2-56. I felt good afterwards and there was no reaction and now I'm looking forward to the big day in London."

Andrew hopes to raise around £1,500 for the National Autistic Society and says he has enjoyed training so much he would not rule himself out of running another marathon.

"I have enjoyed getting fit and am looking forward to the marathon at the end of the month," added Andrew, 33.

"I felt this was a way to make people more aware of autism and understanding the illness and how people cope with it.

"To most people Alex looks just like any other normal healthy child but he is autistic and a lot of people just don't know what that means.

"It has been tough getting fit for the big day but I am now looking forward to it especially with all my family watching.