Runner aims to shed pounds as she raises them for trust

Jan Breider is an environmental officer at Sheffield Wildlife Trust, which offers free activities such as obstacle courses and bug hunting in the city's parks and woodlands.

She said: "Unfortunately I'm overweight and the wrong side of 40. Five years ago I had another baby and couldn't lose the weight so I took the decision to shift it.

"I wanted to challenge myself to do something outside of my comfort zone without having to focus on losing weight so much.

"I've never done any running before in my life. At school cross country was my worst nightmare."

The 13.1-mile Sheffield Half Marathon, on Sunday, May 8, follows a route from Don Valley Stadium to Hunters Bar and back.

Ms Breider added: "It is quite daunting. When I was leaving work the other day I reset my car speedometer to try and get a sense of just how far 13 miles really is.

"After about a mile I gave up watching it and decided that it is definitely is a long way. It's only made me more determined to reach my goal though."

The annual Sheffield Half Marathon, which is now in its 30th year, raises money for 10 local charities. Already around 3,000 people have signed up and the entry limit of 5,500 is set to be reached far before the race date.

To enter, call 0845 3883438 or visit the website at www.sheffieldmarathon.com. Last year's race was won by 39-year-old Andrew Pearson from Wakefield, in a time of 67 minutes and four seconds.