MILLIONS of people take part in long-distance running for various reasons. Reporter Syreeta Lund finds out what motivates them.

Who on earth would choose to fall out of bed bleary-eyed at 5am and get a buzz out of the prospect of steaming round the streets in a pair of joggers on a freezing cold morning?

The same group of people who would consider running 26 miles in a 6ft chicken suit swinging a bucket for charity, or contemplate cutting alcohol out of their lives in favour of water; marathon runners.

I tried to find out what motivates serial marathon runners and why they punish themselves by waking up at unearthly hours, bingeing on pasta and swapping a pint of beer for a pint of water.

This weekend saw hundreds of runners ranging from toddlers to OAPs, taking their place in the Marlow five mile fun run and the annual Prestwood race over 10km.

Businessman Alex Johnson is a self-confessed veteran marathon runner and at 55-years-old, he has run around 100 full and half marathons.

In the run up to a marathon he has scoffed bowls of pasta in preparation and swapped a pint of beer for a pint of water.

But he faced the ultimate sacrifice for his obsession with running when he had to have a replacement hip because of the strains his body has undergone while leading a life in the fast lane.

The IBM business executive, from High Wycombe, is not put off though, and although he can no longer run marathons, he makes sure he still pursues the habit of a lifetime.

He said: "I ran a 5K race a few months after having my hip done.

"Doctors said I would not be able to run again but I proved them wrong."

Not only does he still run, but he gets up at 5am and runs up to ten miles two to three days a week.

In fact, he even admits that his wife sometimes thinks he is a bit crazy as he arrives home from the office at 11pm only to go back out the door in his running kit.

He explained: "Some people may think you're a bit nutty but you have to stick to a regime.

"If it's a freezing cold November morning you have to say 'I'm going to go out'.

"I have a kit in the back of my car all the time and I even take it when I am working in South Africa because you have to seize the moment."

And he certainly does, he is the chairman and coach of the Handy Cross Runners in High Wycombe, and commentator on the Prestwood race over the weekend.

He said: "If I can't do the marathon myself, I get my pleasure helping other people to do it."

And despite holding down a high-powered full-time job taking him to places like South Africa, he always makes time for his Tuesday evening slot to coach a 30-strong club of runners at the High Wycombe Sports Centre.

He explained: "I still find it such good fun and can't really describe the amazing feeling you get when you run a marathon.

"It is difficult to fit it in with work, but I make time."

Another keen marathon runner is Derek Vere, known for his work for charity and in his role as a company director at up-market furniture company Verco in High Wycombe.

The 54-year-old has run in 12 London marathons and has taken part in numerous local runs each year. He gets up at around 6am and trains around two to three times a week.

He said his penchant for marathons comes from a number of things: "I do it for myself because it feels good and it is a great feeling coming over the line. And I do it for charity."

He has probably raised thousands of pounds over the years he has been running for various charities, but most recently for the British Association of Youth Clubs.

He said people call him 'a nutter' all the time but he is motivated to run and as he said 'other people do other things, they may think what I do is way-out but I enjoy it'.

Personal trainer Jenny Dawes, a single-mother, knows about motivation.

She trains people of all ages with all kinds of motivations to run marathons and took part in the Marlow run with a team.

She works at the Lifestyle gym in Marlow and in High Wycombe and claims lifestyle is what it is all about.

She said: "I train four to five times a week and do weights. I have to look the part because that is what I am selling and I have to let people who come to me know that I know what it is like."

But would you give up drinking, even if it is just a few nights before the race, so you are not struggling to cross the finishing line with a hangover?

Keith Patton, running for a team christened The Sex Warriors is a community-minded self-employed builder and has been taking part in the Wycombe Half Marathon for ten years and took his place on the starting line at Prestwood on Sunday.

That may sound relatively normal but there is a catch. He is dressed as Mickey Mouse and dresses as a mouse every year to amuse the kids who watch.

He said: "The kids enjoy it and I do a lot in the community so people know me. I'm just doing this for fun really so I'm not really bothered about pushing myself."

Father-of-two Victor Meech, from Totteridge, completed the London Marathon last year and simply said he finds marathons a real buzz.

He added: "I have never run in a chicken suit but those who do are usually the best runners in the country."

And as Mr Johnson said to me "everyone has their thing; some are more way-out than others."