A Reigate information technology (IT) consultant has helped get a world record relay running attempt off to a flying start.

Dwain Goulbourne, 29, who works at Consolidata IT consultancy in Reigate, was one of the first runners to set off from Wandsworth Park, London, last Friday (May 4) in the RelayGB event.

The event, a new charity fundraising challenge, is attempting to break the marathon world record for distance running.

It will see hundreds of runners covering 2,600 miles around Britain in more than 100 non-stop marathons.

The runners' mission is to break the world record for distance relay running while raising £500,000 in aid of the charity Brain Tumour UK.

Dwain, who set off in Wandsworth Park at 8am last Friday, with a team of runners, ran a lap of the park before heading out along the route, which will make a circuit of Britain.

It will take in cities including Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Dwain was sharing the first RelayGB 26-mile marathon leg with four other team members - doing a ‘relay within RelayGB.’ The team was made up of business colleagues including Dwain’s boss and director of Consolidata, Gordon Meyer.

The company will match-fund the money raised by its employees for the event.

Speaking before the start, Dwain said: “RelayGB is a wicked event. I can’t wait.”

He said: “It’s all about the fundraising, having fun and raising awareness.”

None of the team had ever run five miles before.

Brain tumour survivor David Fryer started the event and spoke about his own brain tumour experience.

A friend of the RelayGB organiser John Stanford, David was diagnosed in 2005 and is the inspiration behind John's fundraising for Brain Tumour UK.

Mr Stanford said: “It’s frightening seeing what David’s going through.

“It’s a constant battle with operations, chemotherapy and convalescence. It puts life and its problems into a sharp perspective."

He said: “Brain Tumour UK is working hard to get the resources that are needed to research more effective diagnostic and treatment options.

“I’m delighted that over 400 people around the UK are taking part in RelayGB over the next 18 days.

“Together we’ll raise these vital funds for more research.”

Praising the runners, Jenny Baker, chief executive at Brain Tumour UK, said: “RelayGB will be an epic and inspirational event and with the money we raise we’ll be funding research into new treatment for people with this devastating condition.”

Among the 400 runners taking part around the UK will be medal winner Liz McColgan, London Marathon winner Mike Gratton, and former women’s rugby international and brain tumour survivor, Vicky Galbraith.

RelayGB is taking place until May 21 and can be followed on a map that updates the runners' progress at: www.relaygb.org RelayGB will try to break the current world record for distance relay running, which currently stands at 1,923 miles set by the Gillette Phenomenal Tour in Romania in 2009.

Despite 40 people being diagnosed every day in the UK with a primary brain tumour, only 2% of all cancer research funding in the UK goes to brain tumour research.

Brain tumours now kill more children than leukemia in England and are the biggest child cancer killer.

Website: www.braintumouruk.org.uk