Legendary jockey Sir AP McCoy has thrown his weight behind a Carlisle runner's charity challenge.

The greatest jump jockey of all time endured an eight-hour journey through traffic chaos caused by Storm Doris to support tyre factory worker John Reay and entertain more than 350 fans.

John, supported by fellow members of the local Six Thix Syndicate (CORR), is embarking on his "7in7" challenge early next month.

The 37-year-old, from Belle Vue, is aiming to run seven marathons in seven days and complete each one in under four hours.

Horseracing fan John, a fitter at the Pirelli factory on Dalston Road, will be running every marathon around the service tracks of seven different racecourses.

In the week building up to this year's Cheltenham Festival, John will start in Newcastle on Tuesday, March 7 before running at Catterick the following day.

He will be at Carlisle Racecourse on Thursday, March 9; Leicester on the 10th; Hereford on the 11th; Warwick on the 12th before finishing his feat at Stratford on March 13.

Sir Tony and eager fans who packed into The Shepherds, at Rosehill, helped kick off the challenge on Thursday night.

Money raised by multi-marathon man John will be split between the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

John said: "Jockey JT McNamara fell and broke his back and died around a year later. Then Freddy Tylicki had a bad accident when he was riding last year and was paralysed. I knew it was time to do something to help.

"I was thinking of a challenge I could do, something that would connect my running with racing. I wanted something to train hard for and something achievable."

Sir Tony, president of the Injured Jockeys Fund, said: "It is an amazing effort and so appreciated. It is people like John that keep this fund going.

"We've seen recently just how dangerous the job and the sport is. I, as president, am so grateful for what John is doing. Every little bit raised helps and the fund provides so much like the rehabilitation houses.

"There's one near where I live and it has meant I've been able to visit physios there in the past."

John - who has only run one marathon in the past, in Seville two years ago - has already clocked up seven half marathons in a week as part of his training schedule.

He is currently running around 70 miles a week in training.

"It has been very hard to get it all in with the kids, home life and working shifts, particularly when I have been on 6-2 at work," he said.

"But I've got the miles in my legs now and we're hoping to get publicity at every course and raise as much as we can for the worthy charities."

John will be accompanied on the first three marathons by friend and 2015 Cumbrian Run winner Robert Hodgson, a member of the city's Border Harriers running club.

Ian Milburn, of IM Events, who organised Thursday's "An Evening with AP McCoy", said: "There are six of us who are in Six Thix and we have horseracing in our hearts. I've been a fan since I was small and John's dad used to start the point to point at Dalston. AP is my absolute hero.

"I already had AP booked when John came up with the idea of doing the marathon challenge.

"John's been training really hard and I've been out with him a couple of times on my bike. He's clocked up short of 100 miles in a week. He's got another week of long training runs left then he'll be tapering off to prepare for the challenge.

"His challenge week around the country takes us to the eve of the Cheltenham festival which is huge for both of us."

Bookmakers William Hill are supporting the challenge.

Donations can be made online at www.7in7challenge.org.