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British astronaut to run ‘digital’ version of London Marathon in space

British astronaut Tim Peake looks on during a press conference at the Science Museum in London on November 6, 2015. Peake is set to embark on a six-month mission to the International Space Station on December 15.
British astronaut Tim Peake looks on during a press conference at the Science Museum in London on November 6, 2015. Peake is set to embark on a six-month mission to the International Space Station on December 15. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

LONDON – A British astronaut will attempt to become the first man to run a marathon in space, as part of his 173-day mission to the International Space Station.

Tim Peake will run a digital version of next year’s London Marathon on a treadmill as the ISS orbits the earth, at the same time as more than 37,000 people run in the race on the ground.

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To combat weightlessness, Peake will wear a harness that tethers him to the treadmill as he runs. He will watch a video of the London course on a big screen in front of him.

Peake says “the London Marathon is a worldwide event. Let’s take it out of this world.”

The London Marathon is on April 24.

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This story has been corrected to show that Peake will be the first man to run a marathon in space, not the first person.

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