Maltese athlete Nicky Farrugia this morning started his attempt to break to break the Enduroman Arch to Arch world record, hoping to run, swim and cycle between Marble Arch in London and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in under 81 hours, five minutes.

The gruelling test, which has long been Nicky's personal ambition, is also being used to raise funds for Dar Tal-Providenza and Inspire (Eden and Razzett Foundation).

The Enduroman Arc to Arc is a solo challenge that tests the body and mind of the most experienced ultra endurance athletes. The event starts with an 87 mile run from London's Marble Arch to the Dover coast, then the athlete must swim across the English Channel to the French coast, and finally cycle 180 miles from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The run from Marble Arch to Dover which Nicky started off at 4 a.m., is expected to take approximately 20 hours. Once at Dover he will rest for a number of hours before starting the swim at 9am (10am local time Sunday).

This is the second time that Nicky Farrugia is swimming the Channel, having done so the first time in 1989, swimming from France to England, a year after swimming for the first time between Sicily and Malta.

Nicky Farrugia holds a number of local swimming and triathlon records and has taken part in a large number of international competitions.

The public can support the World Record Attempt via: Donation Account Number : HSBC 068-079821-050Or online at www.simplygiving.org.mt (Search Nicky Farrugia)