HE IS the main man who cheers in race contestants from all over the UK.

Now an MC from Romsey is taking time out from behind the microphone to take on this year’s Southampton ABP Marathon.

Jon Vamplew, of Saxon Way, is a familiar voice at race events, having previously MC'd for Sky Ride, Sport Relief, the last two New Forest race events and previous ABP runs.

The 57-year-old dad-of-two is now turning his attention to the 26.2 mile run on April 23 – but is still finding time to MC at the family race afterwards at 4pm.

“My passion is running but I enjoy cheering other people in,” said Jon. “It’s my way of giving back to the event.”

Jon’s first run was the Winchester Marathon in 1981. In the ten years which followed, he took on both full and half marathons in Southampton as well as the Great South Run and other local race events.

In more recent years, he has completed the London Marathon and Bournemouth Marathon.

The Southampton ABP is the 16th marathon Jon has taken part in – but he has no plans to make it his last.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I did another marathon,” he said. “I would quite like to run the Clarendon Way, which is an off-road marathon between Winchester and Salisbury.

“I decided to take on the ABP full marathon because it’s being held in my home town. I would not be running a marathon this year if it had not been held in Southampton.

“Also, I took part in the same marathon 33 years ago, which makes this marathon extra-special.”

As a member of the Halterworth Harriers running club in Romsey, Jon and his wife Eleanor regularly take to the streets to run.

However, Jon's preparation for this month’s marathon has been more methodical than gruelling.

“I have approached it scientifically,” he said. “I have stopped eating meat because a lot of the top runners are vegan.

“Time is not my pressure. If I finish in a respectable time, I will be happy.

“I am conditioning for the run, not racing it. I have nothing to prove – personally, this is all about the day, not my race.”