Jane Tomlinson was diagnosed with cancer in 1993

The 40-year-old mother of three from Rothwell, Leeds, hopes to increase the amount of money she has raised for charity from �485,000 to �500,000.

And just two weeks later she will embark on a mammoth challenge of cycling 2,500 miles from Rome to Leeds.

"The bike ride is the challenge of the year," she said. "The marathon is just a build-up to it really."

Training hampered

The NHS paediatric radiographer has already run the marathon twice, completed a triathlon and cycled 1,060 miles across the UK since her diagnosis in 1993.

"I'm looking forward to it much more than last year," she said.

"I hadn't had the time to train and this year I have worked really hard to run this in a reasonable time.

"My goal is four hours and 45 minutes. That's what I have been training for really hard and I will be devastated if I am too ill to run."

The event will be much harder because of her deteriorating health and a recent throat infection, which has hampered her training.

She has also recently finished an intensive course of the chemotherapy.

I don't think anyone can imagine how much she is suffering Jane's husband Mike Tomlinson

Jane's husband Mike said: "Her achievements are matched by no one and we should be sad that this will be her last marathon but we know how lucky we are.

"She was due to die in spring 2001, started running May 2001 and for three consecutive years after that she's run the London Marathon. Who would have believed that it was possible?"

"In London she'll be in immense pain. I don't think anyone can imagine how much she is suffering.

"I don't want to run, I think it's way too hard but I can't tell you how much in awe I am of her."

The London Marathon will take place on 18 April. Her bike ride will start on 3 May in St Peter's Square, Rome and is due to finish in Leeds on 7 June.