A couple who have run the most marathons as a married couple, as recognised by Guinness World Records, will add the Bermuda Marathon to their tally on Sunday.

If all goes to plan it will boost Dave and Linda Major’s combined total since the day they were married to 1,018 marathons.

The British couple met in 1998. At the time only Dave was a runner, having taken up the sport four years earlier. As a youngster he was diagnosed with asthma. He grew up with no interest in sports. By his own admission he was leading an unhealthy lifestyle and, at 29, he was told by a doctor that he would not make it to his 35th birthday unless he immediately changed his drinking, eating and smoking habits.

That warning made him focus on his health and he took up running, saying: “If I look after my running, it will look after me.”

Linda became a runner a year after meeting Dave. She was also a smoker. She was born with a hole in her heart and was also overweight. At school she had stood out and her confidence was damaged because she was bullied.

Initially, she found exercise hard, but with encouragement and advice from Dave she started running and was soon completing marathons and ultra distance events. She has run 447 marathons.

In 2013, the Majors became Guinness World Record holders for the most marathons completed by a married couple. Marathons that count for that total must be official events open to other competitors, and only marathons completed after the date of the marriage certificate qualify for the record. The couple do not need to run together or cross the line together, but each of their individual records is checked.

On their travels, they go “out of our way to actively encourage runners to participate more and in turn improve their level of fitness. More importantly we aim to inspire the sedentary general public who have been looking for a reasons to start regular exercise, but fear that it is not for ‘people like them’”.

This will be their first visit to Bermuda. Dave said: “Wherever we travel we like to experience the local culture, cuisine and beer — we are English after all, and running is just a hobby. We like to walk around islands too.”

The couple expect to finish the marathon in around five hours.