BOURNEMOUTH’S deputy mayor has been tucking into hospital food twice a day as he limbers up for the town’s marathon.

Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts, a former competitive runner, says the food at Royal Bournemouth Hospital is the ideal fuel for his training regime.

He will be one of around 9,500 people, who will be taking part in the Bournemouth Marathon Festival.

On Sunday, he will be among the 4,000 runners in the marathon, one of six events taking place at the weekend.

Phil, who works in commercial services at the hospital, eats breakfast and lunch at the hospital’s cafeteria and has very little to eat in the evening.

He has also been a patient at the hospital in recent months, having been admitted following a cardiac arrest last November, while he was mayor.

“I know there’s a lot of criticism of hospital food but I feel personally Bournemouth hospital has very good food,” he said.

“I don’t have any breakfast at home but I eat every breakfast there, usually porridge or scrambled egg on toast with baked beans and tomatoes.

“They also have fruit cocktails with melons, mangos and oranges. I don’t know any other hospital that does it.”

For lunch, Phil re-visits the cafeteria for a high carbohydrate meal such as pasta or baked potatoes, with plenty of green vegetables.

Phil, 54, who twice took part in the London Marathon, ran his last 26-mile event more than 15 years ago and said he wouldn’t run another.

“I did say I’d never do another marathon but I’m doing this for the mayor’s charities,” he said.

Phil is on eight tablets a day for his heart condition and one of the side effects is that he can’t always get as much sleep as a marathon runner should.

But he said he was feeling “upbeat” about Sunday’s 10am event.

“There are 4,024 runners and I just hope they don’t go off too fast,” he said.

“It’s 26 miles. It’s a monumental endurance race and I hope people are aware of the safety risk.”

CHECK OUT THE BLOG, GALLERIES AND VIDEOS

You can follow the Daily Echo live blogs, capturing all the marathon action over the weekend at bournemouthecho.co.uk There will also be photo galleries from all the races on our website as well as video from each day.

Go to bournemouthecho.co.uk /marathon or follow us on Twitter @bournemouthecho See our eight-page supplement on Monday.