MARATHON man Ben Smith, who ran 401 marathons in 401 days, will be the guest speaker at the East Hampshire Sports Awards in February.

Ben will be at the Old Thorns Manor Hotel inspiring sportsmen, women, coaches, officials, volunteers and the people that support them, telling them about his journey, the challenges he had to overcome and the incredible feat that saw him run the equivalent of the distance from London to Sydney (10,506 miles).

Ultra-fit Ben raised more than £320,000 for two anti-bulling charities that are close to his heart after being bullied throughout his school years for being gay.

The project, which raised money for charities Kidscape and Stonewall, gained national and global coverage, successfully driving an increased awareness of the issues of bullying and the harmful effects it can cause.

Ben and the 401 Challenge team have received some prestigious awards since their heroic efforts, including The National Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year Award 2016, The Power of Light Award 2016 from the Cabinet Office and PM Theresa May, and the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award.

The aim of Ben’s talk is to inspire people to have the view that “anything is possible when you put your mind to it” and will focus on his experiences and background to provide a talk that will have a lasting effect on all listeners and will hopefully motivate them in the future.

Julie Butler, East Hampshire District Council’s portfolio holder for customer releations, said: “EHDC is delighted to have Ben Smith as our guest speaker at the sports awards ceremony. Ben’s story is amazing and will no doubt inspire everyone in the room.

“We feel extremely lucky to even be able to meet Ben, let alone hear about his journey. He is a total inspiration and a true hero and I look forward to hearing him speak in February.”

Organised by EHDC, the East Hampshire Sports Awards will take place on Thursday, February 15, at Old Thorns Manor Hotel in Liphook, hosted by ITV’s Fred Dinenage.

There are different categroies from Junior Disability Sportsperson of the Year, Senior Disability Sportsperson of the Year, Volunteer of the Year (Junior and Senior), School Team of the Year, Team of the Year, Senior Sportswoman of the Year, and Service to Sport?Outstanding Personal Achievement.

The deadline for nominations was on January 5.