Folkestone boxer Josh Kennedy swapped his gloves for running shorts on Sunday when he tackled the Folkestone Rotary Half Marathon.

Kennedy, 24, ran the 13-mile course along the seafront in preparation for his fourth professional fight against the experienced Ghanaian Isaac Owusu in London on October 17.

The fight, at York Hall, will be Kennedy’s first over six rounds and he proved his stamina by completing the half marathon – his first – in 1hr 29min 19sec to finish an impressive 21st out of 467 runners.

Kennedy, whose aim was to go under 90 minutes, said: "It was a bit different. I thought if I could run a half marathon, six rounds would be easy.

"I’d never run a half marathon before. The longest I’d done was a 10-mile race and I’ve only done that once.

"I’m a boxer, not a runner, so to do 13 miles in 1:29, I’m pleased with that.

"I knew I was going to seize up at one point and it was around mile seven. I got the feeling back in my legs after that and in the last two miles, I managed to gain a couple of places.

"Lots of people struggle up Remembrance Hill but I do that every other day so it was easy.

"I didn’t have to do the race. A six-round fight only lasts 25 minutes but I thought that if I could do a half marathon comfortably, when I get in the ring, I can do six rounds easily."

Read the full story in the Folkestone & Hythe Express.