Aylsham ‘non-runner’ celebrates half-marathon success

An Aylsham woman who was unable to run for longer than a minute in February is celebrating after completing a half marathon to help needy children.

Self-employed travel agent Sam McCann, 41, ran in the London 13-mile Royal Parks event with fellow Aylsham resident Andrew Morton, 42.

Mrs McCann was among 20 members of umbrella body Travel Counsellors who took part in the October 10 race, collectively raising over �10,000 for Plan UK, which aims to improve children's education in some of the world's poorest countries.

'It took me three hours and it was a tremendous relief and a huge sense of achievement when it was over,' said Mrs McCann. 'Now I totally appreciate what people go through when they run a whole 26 miles like the London Marathon.'

She stepped up her stamina in minute-long stages each day and used her experience to inspire children during a talk she gave at Aylsham's Bure Valley School, where she is a governor.

Mr Morton completed the race in under two hours and will share his sponsor money between Plan UK and Aylsham Baptist Church.

Travel Counsellors has funded a project to repair and extend a primary school in the Ndere Village, Kenya, and has donated �200,000 to the charity's educational programme which aims to link thousands of school children around the world.