Hamsterman wheels himself around...

Hamsterman builds 8ft metal wheel on driveway of family home to run seven marathons for charity

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 8:23 PM on 30th November 2010

We've all felt, at times, as if we are stuck on the hamster wheel of life but runner Stuart Kettell has ensured that he is.

The 45-year-old eccentric spent four months building an 8ft red and yellow metal wheel on the driveway of his home in Coventry and now runs the days away in full view of the neighbours on his suburban housing estate. 

'The neighbours were a bit taken aback at first, but they're used to it now,' said the father-of-two.

Rat race: Mr Kettell plans to raise £7,000 for charity by running seven marathons in seven days in the wheel

'It feels really strange running in the wheel, and I do get a bit of motion sickness as it's going round in front of me.

'It's pretty difficult running on an incline too.

'But it's creating quite a bit of interest round here.

'People have been beeping their horns as they drive past me and I get a crowd of kids watching me every time I go for a run.

'My kids think it's great and they love having a go on the wheel but my wife, Debbie, is less than impressed.

Eccentric: Stuart Kettell, 45, spent four months building the 8ft hamster wheel outside his home

Mr Kettell, who runs a film production business, has committed himself to running seven marathons - almost 200 miles - in seven days inside the wheel as a stunt to raise money for charity.

He plans to raise £7,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, which he has supported for the past five years with ever more elaborate ideas, because it helped an old school friend.

Mr Kettell has previously paddled to France in a kayak and cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats on a penny farthing.

The stunts clearly delight Mr Kettell, but his wife Debbie, 42, is less enamoured of them. 

'Every time I try a new wacky stunt, Debbie is mortified, he said.  

'Each year, she thinks she's got used to my wacky fundraising and then I go and pull something else out of the bag.' 

The wheel thing: This hamster gets his exercise in the same way as Mr Kettell

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1334471/Hamsterman-Eccentric-dad-builds-8ft-metal-wheel-driveway.html#ixzz16pQ3OuXK