Shape up with Chris and be a marathon winner

Couch potatoes who want to shape up in time for the Wolverhampton marathon are being offered the chance of a lifetime.

Fitness guru Chris Jewkes is looking for three volunteers who are prepared to seriously commit to changing their lifestyle and train for the marathon from scratch — free of charge.

The Express & Star is now backing his hunt for three volunteers, who have not necessarily trained in the past, who are willing to take part in the challenge.

Former army fitness instructor Chris will ease the volunteers into their new lifestyle change over the next few months. The core objective is to train them in order to complete the Wolverhampton Marathon on September 4.

Chris said: "We won't just work on individual fitness; we will also re-educate our volunteers about their whole diet and the importance of proper nutrition and hydration.

"Each of our volunteers will have a structured training programme to motivate them in order to achieve their goals and run the marathon."

Training will be weekly at the Chris Jewkes Fitness Centre in Danescourt Road, Tettenhall.

Express & Star readers will be able to follow the volunteers' progress in regular features leading up to the Wolverhampton Marathon in September.

Chris Jewkes Fitness is one of the Midlands premier personal training academies. It specialises in looking after its personal training clients and members on a one-to-one, bespoke basis.

The club is unassuming, welcoming and very friendly.

So it certainly does not intimidate and its members comprise all shapes and sizes, many with varying aspirations and different goals.

They include people driving their personal fitness goals to new heights through to those needing to lose weight on medical grounds.

Chris said: "We have elite athletes training for events all over the world through to brides-to-be wanting to look their best on the big day. For this marathon challenge, the key requirement is total commitment from the volunteers.

"So even on the coldest and wettest of days, they will be expected to stick to the training regime and work out every day under my supervision. It will be a really exciting challenge."

The successful volunteers must be willing to have their stories and progress featured in the Express & Star.

The judges' decision is final. Employees of the Express & Star, Chris Jewkes Fitness and associated companies are not eligible for entry.

??* Fancy a challenge? Write to Chris Jewkes at Chris Jewkes Fitness at chris@chrisjewkesfitness.com or you can post directly to Chris Jewkes Fitness, Danescourt Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 9BQ. You need to outline details about fitness levels and reasons for wanting to take part in this initiative and undertake the marathon challenge. You should include details about your height and weight along with any medical conditions. Deadline for entries is 31st January 2011.