Nino is off to Paris (From Times Series)

Nino is off to Paris

7:30am Thursday 7th August 2008 in Sport

East Finchley resident Nino Baglione is off to Paris.

But he will not be travelling via any of the normal forms of transport.

The super-fit Baglione will be running, swimming and cycling there.

The 31-year-old, who was born in South Africa, is taking part in the Arch to Arc Challenge on September 19. He will begin from London’s Marble Arch and finish at the Arc de Triomphe in the French capital.

Baglione said: “In order to get to Paris I will need to cover the 89-mile run from London to Dover, before entering the water for the cross-Channel swim to Calais and the start of the final leg of this triathlon, arguably the toughest solo triathlon in the world, the 1,800-mile cycle to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.”

He added: “To understand the difficulties faced during this attempt, both physically and mentally, I will be pushed to the limits as this course has only ever been completed in a solo format by four previous athletes.”

The current record stands at just over 81 hours.

Baglione, who hopes to raise more than £50,000 for the Tusk Trust to support their projects in Africa, is aiming to better the record.

Any businesses or individuals who would like to sponsor Baglione can log on at www.artemisarchtoarc.com for details.