MOST people can’t imagine running one marathon, let alone 100.

But the Clarendon Marathon, from Salisbury to Winchester, saw Steve Goodwin complete his 100th 26-mile race in four hours and six minutes.

“It was such a memorable day,” said Goodwin, who lives in Winchester. “Everything went well. My friends accompanied me on the marathon and the weather was perfect. It was quite emotional.

“There was a lot of support from the crowd.”

After crossing the finishing line to a big cheer at Kings’ School, Goodwin became a member of the elite 100 Marathon Club. He was presented with a club running vest, medal and bottle of champagne.

Running with him on the milestone race were a dozen friends and club mates from Winchester and District Athletics Club (WADAC ).

“It is not where you run your 100th marathon that makes it special, but the people you run it with. For me, it had to be Clarendon because it finishes in Winchester, so family and friends could be there.”

When Goodwin, who works in the city council estates department, first started running in his 20s, he never dreamt he would reach his century.

He told family and friends “never, ever again” after finishing his first marathon in London in 1987.

But he soon put on his running shoes again.

He has since run all over the world, including New York, Iceland, the Cayman Islands and South Africa. Godwin completed 73 marathons in the last 12 years, including 14 in 2013 to reach 100 before his 60th birthday in November.

His longest race was 56 miles from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa which he ran in 10 hours and 13 minutes.

Goodwin credits his success to the support of his wife, Gill, who runs mostly half marathons, and training with the local Winchester club.

And the marathon man has no plans to slow down. His next big challenge is a 250-km race in the Kalahari Desert in 2015.

Some 1,146 runners entered the Clarendon Marathon with 946 completing the course, up on 804 the previous year.

Race director JJ Heath-Caldwell, who ran his first marathon at this year’s event, said it was a record number of finishers. The previous record was 904 in 2010.

The annual event raises thousands of pounds for charities and good causes chosen by runners.