Rome – British man Miles Skinner is attempting to achieve a unique feat in the coming weeks. Skinner is running ten marathons in just seven days culminating in a finish at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, to raise money for the Monte San Marino Trust.

 Skinner, 29, is taking on this impressive challenge in tribute to his grandparents and will run 262 miles through the Italian hills to raise money for the charity, which was set up to give back to the brave and generous Italian people who helped the Allied prisoners of war escape during World War II. One of these escapees was Skinner’s grandfather Stan.

 During the Second World War, his grandfather was captured in North Africa and imprisoned at Sulmona in Italy. After the Armistice in September 1943, he escaped from the POW camp and hid in the mountains, evading the Germans for several months and eventually succeeded in re-joining the Allies. All his life, he felt a debt of gratitude to the people of the Italian countryside, who risked their lives by hiding and feeding Allied prisoners such as him who were on the run from the Fascists.

 Even more remarkable is that when initially recaptured and in a railway station waiting to be deported to Germany, the Allies bombed the railway station. Despite suffering heavy injuries and being hospitalised, he still managed to eventually escape from the hospital weeks after having several operations.

 Sadly, his good friend Peter Allcoat died tragically alongside him during the bombings but when Skinner’s grandfather went to visit the Allcoat family after the war to explain what had happened, he was to meet Peter’s sister, Jo, and Miles’ future grandmother. After a period of courtship they then married and were together for over 50 years.

 Skinner said: “Following my grandfather’s death a few years ago, my grandmother was keen for me to support the charity. After she passed away last year, I was determined to take up a sizeable physical challenge with a connection to Italy, so as to help, in a small way, to give something back to the Italian people.

 “It goes without saying that this is going to be incredibly challenging, not least because of the unforgiving terrain and potential heat. I have been running to and from work, training hard and giving absolutely everything as I seek out my goal and preparation has been good so far.”