POBOL Y CWM star Richard Lynch is trading in the film studio for the Breconshire hills when he takes on this year’s Whole Earth Man vs Horse marathon.

Richard has been in the acting business for over 12 years and has starred in several high-profile television shows, and is a long-standing member of the cast of Pobol y Cwm, the Welsh language soap opera on S4C.

He will be taking on the challenge in aid of Cylch Meithrin, a charity which benefits Welsh language education for toddlers and young children.

The race takes place on June 11 and Richard said: "I’m not entering to win it I will be happy with finishing and it’s all about the cause really."

Richard spoke to reporter Jessica Amos to reveal more about his acting career, his connection to Cylch Meithrin and his upcoming challenge.

Q: So can you tell me a bit about your upcoming marathon?

Richard: "I’m doing the Man vs Horse challenge. The original plan was for my wife Louise to do it on horseback against me but she didn’t get the application in in time but she’s hoping to do it in the future."

Q: So what’s made you want to do the challenge?

Richard:"Well partly because I’ve just turned 50 and we thought of a challenge that might fit the bill for both of us and we had seen a bit about Man vs Horse on TV and we thought that might fit the bill even though I’ve never actually done any running before."

Q: So have you been training?

Richard: "I have been doing bit of training. I’ve been lucky that Becca who is one of the mothers in Ysgol Y Bannau who organises the Ras i’r Bannau which is a local 5k road race, taking place on June 26. She’s training me because she does a lot of running and is ex-mountain rescue. She’s kind of taken me under her wing and she thinks I can go the distance."

Q: So how long is the race?

Richard: "It’s 23 miles cross country. It is going to be a tough race but it’s a beautiful part of the world. Just above Llanwrtyd Wells. Everybody does these things for good causes and I’m hoping it’s going to be for a good cause and a good day out at the same time.

Q: You're a parent of two children in Ysgol Y Bannau. Is that why you're raising money for this cause?

Richard: "Cylch Meithrin is a charity whose sole purpose really is to further the aims of Welsh speaking education in young children/toddlers. When I was my daughter’s age, my mother did the same thing, she campaigned for Welsh medium education in Cardiff and she got the first Welsh medium primary school opened in South Wales.

"So Welsh medium education is obviously really important to me and I think Cylch Meithrin serves the community really well in that regard."

Q: So have you done any other charity runs for this cause?

Richard: I did the 5k last year and that was my first competitive and charity race. I’m not a runner by nature. So obviously this is a massive step up from 5k to 23 miles. So I have been doing some long distance runs building up to it since January. The furthest distance I’ve done so far is 17 miles.

Q: So why is it so important to you that the children of the next generation can access a Welsh education?

Richard: "Without Welsh medium education there is no future for the welsh language. It’s as simple and as rudimentary as that really. Also being the product of that system myself I realise that bilingualism is a great advantage. It’s rare in most countries now that people are monoglot. People in Britain think it’s normal for some reason but it’s not. It also opens up a different world for children. It connects them to their history and their country. It is also good for employment later on in life. It is advantageous to have both languages in any job in Wales. In my job it is very advantageous."

Q: That brings me on to my next question. So you're an actor? Where did your acting career begin?

Richard: "I started off doing a film called Boy Soldier when I was 19 that was my first job. I was still in uni at the time. Then I did a lot of theatre. The Royal Shakespeare company and most other major play companies. Then we decided to move back to Cardiff from London. I new the producer of Pobol y Cwm from way back and he said that there was a new family being introduced in the show and that I should go for it. I’ve been doing Pobol y Cwm for 12 years now."

Q: Are you in anything else?

Richard: "I’m in Hinterland me and the producer of Hinterland also go way back. We did a film company together years ago which developed into the company fiction factory which developed into Hinterland. We’ve known each other for about 25 years and he rang up and offered me the part and it’s a bit of a one off I think. I’m also on Hollow Crown on Saturday with Benedict Cumberbatch and Judie Dench. It’s on BBC 2 and it’s the Shakespearean War of the Roses. This Saturday is the second part and it’s a three part drama.

Q: So back to the Man vs Horse. Are you nervous about the upcoming challenge?

Richard:"Well, I’m going to do a practice run on Saturday. There’s a company called May Contain Nuts and they do the Brecon Beacons Ultra. The ultra is 40 miles, then they do a marathon and they do a 10 mile trail run. I’m going to do the 10 mile run as the first practice competitive run. I’m told it’s a little bit different actually running against people so that’s just to dip my toe in the water."

Q: So are you nervous or excited or both?

Richard: "I think as long as I can train to get up the distance then on the day I’l be quite relaxed because I’l know I can do it. It’s a bit like theatre, if you prep it really well and you’ve rehearsed then the actual doing of it can be really enjoyable. So I’m hoping it will be a bit like that and I’m hoping that I’ll stay injury free.

Q: What’s the terrain like?

Richard: "It’s up hills, through bogs, through rivers so the horses are going to smash it. I think it’s been going for 25 years and only twice a runner has won. The odds are stacked against us on foot. I’m not entering to win anyway I will be happy with finishing and it’s all about the cause really. The future of the Welsh language is so important for our communities and with everything that’s going on at the moment with cutting the Welsh stream in Brecon which would be a travesty so it’s really important to raise awareness about this."If you would like to donate to this cause and support Richard in his challenge then you can donate via the website www.givey.com/horse