Most 80-year-old men recovering from a prolonged lung infection would be looking at a course of antibiotics and a lengthy period of rest.

Not Jack Denness. He’s training for a 135 mile race through Death Valley, California - the hottest part of the western hemisphere - which takes place in just under two months time.

Jack’s been there before of course - 14 times in fact - becoming the oldest man to compete in it when he ran aged 70 in 2005 and 75 in 2010.

He’s also said “never again” before.

But as the school caretaker from Canon Close, Rochester, explained, that hasn’t panned out as planned.

"It’s just an endurance race, nothing special. My running days are over - now it’s just jogging and walking" - Jack

“When I did it aged 70 I stood on the finish line and said ‘that’s the last time I’m doing that. Never again.’

“I said the same thing when I was 75 and everyone said ‘liar’.”

It turns out everyone was right, but Mr Denness admits he’s got a tough task ahead of him.

“I’ve just started training because I had an infection on my lungs,” he said. “It started at Christmas and I finally went to the doctors two weeks ago - they said ‘why didn’t you come before?’”

Nevertheless he remains remarkably relaxed, adding: “That’s the way it goes. It’s just an endurance race, nothing special. My running days are over - now it’s just jogging and walking.

“They’ve changed the goalposts a bit since I last did it. You used to have to do it in 60 hours, now it’s 48 hours. The best I’ve done is 51 hours so it’s going to be tough.”

He described the conditions in Death Valley as “horrendous” but added: “That’s the race - that’s what it’s all about.”

Watch: Jack takes on 135 mile race in Death Valley

He said his target was to complete 100 miles within the race time limit, and that the most important thing was to raise money for The Friends of the Wisdom Hospice.

The gruelling foot race starts at Badwater, USA at 282ft below sea level, then climbs out of Badwater across the floor of Death Valley, which has daytime temperatures tipping 50C.

He will pass through places with names as welcoming as Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells, before finishing at Mount Whitney.

Jack was the overall winner of Pride in Medway in 2011 and was made an MBE for his charity efforts in 2013.

To back Jack, visit his Just Giving page.

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