The 16-year-old from Mount Tabor, Halifax, won her first road race, the London Mini Mara-thon, earlier this year and out-flanked three others in her £3,500 racing wheelchair which friends and supporters helped her buy.

She became involved in wheelchair racing after being spotted by paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson. She said: "It was amazing and I really enjoyed it. I train every day and this is the second 10K that I have done and is all part of my training for the Paralympics in London.

"I think Jane Tomlinson was an amazing woman, to be honest – she needed help herself but was so keen to help others. To take part in a race like this just feels really good.''

Hannah was born with a damaged spinal cord but has an indomitable spirit and is now a contender for 2012.

Last year her father Graham and members of his amateur rugby league team took part in the Leeds 10K to raise money for the racing wheelchair. Hannah, a pupil at Holy Trinity in Halifax, who was cheered round by her parents as well as best friend Georgina from Brighton, added: "The atmosphere was fantastic. When I did my first 10K there were people at the start and people at the finish and I wanted to give up – there was nobody in the middle, which was a bit dispiriting – but this was great with people cheering and clapping you all the way round.''

Hannah was still going so fast at the finishing line that officials had to move quickly to open up extra room so she could steer through safely.


Whole family make a day of the race to raise £2,000 for Macmillan

IT was a family affair as the O'Sullivan clan donned their running shoes to take part in this year's Run for All.

Brendan O'Sullivan, 52, his wife Pam, 53, and teenage daughters Rosie and Annie say they have raised around £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Pam, an osteopath, led the way – a keen runner she goes out as many as four or five times a week in Scarborough.

Mr O'Sullivan, an acupuncturist, said: "This is the first time we have done this particular one. Because of Annie's age – she turned 16 in January – this was the first time we could do something like this as a family.

"I have done longer runs myself in the past, but 10K is a nice distance and a perfect family outing. It's over in an hour and that's good.

"I think we will be certainly back here next year – we have made our mark. We have had wonderful support and generous contributions to our donation – someone even gave an individual donation of £100 which was great.

"It's been very enjoyable – the day was perfect really – good weather and a wonderful atmosphere. And to run in the footsteps of Jane Tomlinson was very special and something for us all to be proud of.''

His wife added: "The weather conditions were very nice – a bit different from running with a sea breeze behind you in Scarborough. The two girls ran together while Brendan ran with me.''

Rosie, 17, said it was one of the best things they had ever done as a family. "I am definitely getting a taste for it. I want to do a longer run now,'' she added.

Annie, raised £500 from a environmental day and assembly held at Scaborough College before Easter and Rosie raised £200. The family were galvanised into action after Frankie Sturrock from Kent, Mrs O'Sullivan's former boss was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2000.


Father and sons step out to honour cancer victim

A FATHER and his three sons ran in memory of their wife and mother who died of cancer in the same week that Jane Tomlinson died.

Jack Firth and sons Joe, 15, John, 18 and Scott, 24, honoured Mr Firth's late wife Angie who died of lung cancer in September 2007.

They hope to have raised about £2,500 for Cancer Research UK.

Mr Firth, a builder, of Farsley, Leeds, who employs Scott, a joiner, and John, a bricklayer, said the day had gone even better than he had hoped.

After taking a well-earned bath, he said: "It went really well. We ran together and finished in just over an hour which we were pleased with. It was a great experience all round and the boys found it better than we thought.

"Joe's feet were a bit sore at the end but he got round all right and apart from that everyone was OK. We had never done anything like this before so it was all new to us.''

Mr Firth used to play football for the Cardigan Arms pub at Kirkstall, Leeds, but before the race admitted he might be a little out of shape, never having attempted such a distance before and a dislike of running without any ball to play with.

However, his training twice a week paid dividends and he found their race pace slightly slower than his training one – 8km an hour instead of 9km an hour.

Mr Firth added: "The atmosphere was brilliant especially down the Headrow at the end.

"It was a really well-organised event and just an extremely enjoyable day which I am sure will stay in our memories for some time.''


Cheered every step of the way – as husband pushes wife in wheelchair

Robert Sutcliffe

A DEVOTED husband pushed his wife in a wheelchair around the course as they took part in the event for the second time.

Doreen Cooper, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was just 22 , is known locally as "the bionic woman" because she has had so many joint replacements.

But the 71-year-old has been determined not to let her condition spoil an active life so husband Brian agreed to help her around the course for the second year running.

Mrs Cooper said: "It's been great though, of course, I'm not the one who is out of puff. There was a lovely atmosphere – we were cheered every step of the way.

"Jane Tomlinson was a fantastic example to everybody and certainly inspired us. She used to live in the same road as we did at one time.''

Gallantly kissing his wife's hand, Mr Cooper, 71, added: "She is only seven stone and game for anything.

"It's been fine – I think I have managed about the same time as last year – 73 minutes.

"I normally run one 10K a month – the last one was at Harewood House – but this is the only one I do pushing my wife around.

"I was glad to be able to do it as I the last run I completed at Harewood led to me tearing a muscle in my left leg so I was not sure I was going to be able to do this.

"But my doctor said the best thing I could do was cycling so I went to France on my own while carers looked after my wife and I got through
today without any problems.''

Mr Cooper only started running when he was 64 and completed the London Marathon a year later.

His wife didn't want to be left out of the action, however, and with her consent he began pushing her around.