An ultra-marathon runner hopes he will be in the best form of his life when he represents England later this year.

Chris Carver, 47, says he is getting better with age and aims to set a personal best in the Commonwealth 24-hour running championships in Wales in September.

It will be his fourth international appearance in two years and he believes running more than 150 miles in a day will put him on course for an individual medal in the gruelling event.

Runners use up about 700kcal per hour and must keep a delicate balance between consuming too little and too much while running the race. Mr Carver’s efforts are made all the more remarkable by the fact he has battled testicular and lung cancer, which involved losing part of his right lung in the process.

But he says his best is probably yet to come.

“I’m sure I’ll definitely keep improving,” said the Otley Athletic Club runner. “I’ve probably got five or six more years in me.

“Ultra marathon runners tend to be older than normal marathon runners anyway.”

Last September, Mr Carver set a personal best of 148 miles in the event, which simply sees how far runners can go in a single day.

Now he feels the 150 mark is achievable and hopes he can pick up an individual medal to sit alongside team medals he has collected in the past.

“I feel confident,” he said. “I finished fifth in the event last time and I don’t see why I can’t win it.”