STEVE EDWARDS became the first person on the planet to run 700 official marathons in under 3hr 30min on Sunday.

The remarkable Cotswold athlete completed the task at the most famous marathon of them all in London, crossing the finishing line in a very respectable time of 3:14.40.

It was another landmark achievement for the 54-year-old from Moreton-in-Marsh who also extended his British record for the most sub-3:15 marathons to 320.

Edwards has long since become legendary for the clock in his head – his biography published last year was called ‘The Man Inside The Machine’ after all.

Just as astonishing is how he could pull off this landmark coup, which was months in the planning, at the most iconic marathon venue given the inevitable injuries and setbacks that every endurance runner has to overcome.

Talking on Monday. Steve said: " It still hasn’t sunk in yet – what I’ve managed to achieve – it all seems like a dream.

"Yesterday went exactly to plan. The weather was perfect, the crowd support was fantastic and I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me over the years.

"Most of all, I’d like to thank my wife Teresa for all her love and support. We are Team Edwards and none of this would be possible without Teresa’s support.

"To also have our granddaughter Alyssa with us for the weekend watching her first ever London Marathon and supporting grandad made it very special."

Running stats are Steve's bread and butter and he has certainly compiled some phenomenal ones.

q An average of one competitive marathon every 13 days for nearly three decades averaging 3hr 17min.

q His last 200 sub-3:30 marathons have come in 231 weeks – almost one a week.

q Average finish time for his fastest 500 races is 3hr 12min and for 600 marathons, 3hr 14min – both records.

"My next target is to achieve the record for 800 marathons – London was my 778th – which could happen at the new Birmingham International Marathon in October if all goes to plan," said Steve, who last year helped found his own running club, North Cotswold Tri & Run.

However, even Steve is admitting to human frailties.

"I'm chasing the ultimate multi-marathon running record – 1,000 in the fastest average finish time," he said. "I’m not sure whether I have it in me because running a marathon hurts more than ever as I’ve got older, but I’m determined to keep pushing that bar as high as I possibly can."

‘The Man Inside The Machine’ is still available and can be bought through Steve's Facebook page.

He also fundraises for Kate’s Home Nursing charity, and small donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/teamedwards1000