Parkrun gave me the confidence to try a marathon
BBCA woman who thought of herself as "not a runner" is preparing for the London Marathon to thank the organisation that gave her the confidence to try.
Alannah Mathewson, 29, from Seaton Delaval in Northumberland, first joined Parkrun - the 3.1-mile (5k) events that take place across the country every Saturday - in 2020 and found she loved the "sense of community".
She is attempting the marathon on 26 April for the organisation's charity Parkrun Global which organises events in more than 23 countries around the world.
"I was never good at sport at school but coming to parkrun I've learnt it doesn't matter how fast you are, it's the finish line which is the target not the time," she said.
Mathewson was persuaded to try her first Parkrun at Whitley Bay when a friend who was a regular participant came to stay.
"I thought 'this is quite nice,' but of course then Covid began which put an end to any running, but in 2022 I started going really regularly."
She was impressed by the fact that the movement is "open and welcoming of everyone whatever their age, size or speed".
She chose to raise money for Parkrun Global because "many people don't even realise the movement has a charity".
She hopes the money she raises will help it expand with initiatives that will take it into schools and prisons.
But she is "definitely nervous" of undertaking her first marathon.
"One thing that's been reassuring is how I've gone from struggling to run for 10 minutes to being able to run without stopping for 16 miles," she said.
"It has made me realise that the only thing that's stopping people doing things is a belief that you can't."
