A CLEANER is polishing up her running technique in time to take on the London Marathon.

Mandy O’Malley, of Golcar, will be pounding the capital’s streets in April to raise money for homeless charity Shelter.

The 38-year-old said: “I just feel for the homeless and my mum and dad always supported the homeless – they used to go out and give them soup to warm them up at night.

“With people losing their jobs at the moment they are likely to then lose their houses so it’s especially important these days.

“When I’ve been training I’ve been running in the snow and it just makes you realise what the homeless have to cope with.”

Mandy, who lives with her mum Christine Ader, 63, began running when she took on the Great North Run last year.

She said: “I didn’t even like running at all when I first started and when I finished the Great North Run I said to myself I was never going to do the marathon but I ended up entering and I’m in.

“I was never very active before but I lost two-and-a-half stone and it’s got me fit.

“The last run I did was about 20 miles – I run to Slaithwaite and Marsden – anywhere really.”

It’s Mandy’s first time taking on the marathon and she’s determined to finish it.

She said: “I just want to get round – I’m not going to dash off – you hear of lots of people who do that even experienced runners – and they hit the wall.”