RAY Collett will lace up his long-distance running shoes for the last time next month when he lines up for his final London Marathon at the age of 67.

The pensioner, who had a life-saving triple bypass operation 10 years ago after suffering 10 heart attacks, is set to retire from running marathons.

He has taken part in 19 marathons and has raised thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Collett, of Claypool Road, Horwich, will be in London on Sunday, April 18, to raise money for the Gauchers Association -- a group which funds research into the rare metabolic disorder Gauchers Disease.

The retired manufacturing engineer has now raised around £10,000 for groups, including Horwich New Heart.

"After I had my operation in 1994, the doctors told me I could either get fit and start running, or die, and I chose to start running. One year and one week after I went under the knife, I was running my first marathon.

"I've always enjoyed it and especially knowing that I'm raising money for charity, but I'm 67 and training has been really tough this year.

"I'll carry on running and I'm doing the Greater Manchester Run this year, but as far as marathons are concerned this will be the last.

"But I'd just like to thank all the people who have helped support me and donated money throughout the last 10 years. I just do the running. They're the ones that give me the money."

Mr Collett admits that he led a "naughty" lifestyle before he was shocked into quitting smoking and avoiding fatty foods in 1984 when he had his first heart attack.

"I did all the wrong things, like smoking, and now I've had to give up red meat and dairy products like cheese and butter because I'm one of those people who produces a lot of cholesterol," he said.

But before he turns his attentions to the big day, he will run a marathon on Sunday without moving out of the Asda store at Middlebrook.

"I've done a marathon on a treadmill before and they are very hard work," he said. "I expect it would take me around four or five hours. It's all part of the training."

Mr Collett will be collecting donations between 11am and 4pm for the Gauchers Association -- a charity he supports because a friend's son has the syndrome.