She may be a few years into the pension zone.
But 68-year-old Pat Ainsworth is gearing up for her 17th London Marathon.
And once again Pat, of Emley, will be running for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Pat isn’t as quick as she was 20 years ago when she finished the London Marathon in 4hr 10min.
But she’s still completing the 26 miles in just over six hours and has no plans to retire.
Pat, who ran with the Olympic Torch through Huddersfield in 2012, is currently running up to 18 miles, three times a week.
Over the years she’s raised thousands for Cancer Research, Childline and Kirkwood Hospice.
Last year she raised £2,050 for Marie Curie – and for this year’s London Marathon, on April 13, she hopes to raise a few thousand more for the charity.
And it probably won’t be the last time.
Pat, a retired admin assistant at New Hall Prison, said: “I don’t know if it will be the last. My husband has said so and I keep saying it will be the last, but once you’ve done it and you’ve got your medal you forget about all the gruelling effort.
“I suppose it gets harder each year. The training isn’t easy but it isn’t for anyone.
“I don’t think I’ll be doing it at 80 – but people still do.”
And training in the hills around Emley makes the comparatively flat London Marathon easier.
Pat said: “Emley is very hilly whereas London is fairly flat. Training around here makes you strong which means I can get round the London Marathon course at a nice pace.”
If you’d like to sponsor Pat call: 01924 848003 or you can donate at Lloyds Bank, Westgate, which is holding a collection for her cause.
Marie Curie nurses provide home care for terminally ill patients.
Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news.
Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here, the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here
To follow us on Twitter click here
