Virgin Media worker Daniel Barker-Platt, 23, will be running the 2010 London Marathon with business tycoon Sir Richard Branson.

The former Manor College of Technology pupil pipped hundreds of hopeful colleagues to the post by winning one of just 14 places reserved for Virgin Media employees.

Daniel will be running in a select group with Virgin Group chairman and founder, Sir Richard Branson next April.

Daniel, who lives in the Fens area of town with his parents, said: "It's amazing that I am getting to meet him.

"He is a childhood hero of mine. He is somebody I really look up to. I used to watch him on the news when I was a kid, when he was going up in balloons and attempting to go around the world.

"I think I will get star struck."

Daniel will be running in aid of Zoe's Place baby hospice, in Middlesbrough, and Virgin Unite, a charity initiative of the Virgin Group, after submitting a successful application.

He believes his past experience doing a coast to coast sponsored bike ride for Hartlepool and District Hospice stood him in good stead.

Daniel, who hopes to raise £5,000 through the event, said: "I am really keen to support Zoe's Place because of the great work they do for terminally ill children and hope to raise as much money as possible for them.

"The Virgin London Marathon is one of the most famous marathons in the world and I'm excited, if a little nervous, to be taking part in such a huge event."

Next year Virgin is the main sponsor and Daniel has seven months to get into top physical fitness before he joins more than 35,000 people expected to take part in the 26-mile course around the River Thames.

Bike-mad Daniel, whose mum Julie Barker-Platt, 43, works as a counter manager for Asda and dad Graham is a worker at Nissan in Sunderland, has swapped his wheels for trainers to pound the streets of Hartlepool and Seaton Carew. So far he IS running around six and a half miles at a time.

But he is relying on his competitive streak to see him through – especially if he is to beat his personal target of finishing in under six hours.

He said: "I'm very competitive. I started to try and race a guy last week that ran past me.

"I'm not bothered if I beat Richard, as long as I finish alongside him I will be all right."

Anyone who wishes to sponsor Daniel can visit his fundraising page at www.virginmoneygiving.com/danielbarkerplatt which will become active at the end of next week.