BATH Half-Marathon runners Chrissie Perry (left) and friend Clare Rodgerson are all smiles after completing the course – and raising £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

Chrissie, who lives at Laburnum Road, Wellington, ran for the charity after her mother’s and aunt’s heart-related deaths last year. Mum Heather Dane, from Wiltshire, was 55 when she died and aunt Pat Roberts, from Exmouth, was 61.

Chrissie works at Oake, Nynehead and Bradford Pre-School and Claire, 41, of Saxon Close, Oake, in the school.

In Bath they ran together, completing the course in two-and-a-half hours.

Chrissie, 37, said she suffered from asthma and had never been physically fit – and would have struggled to run a mile before starting training prior to Christmas.

She added: “The half-marathon was quite emotional and I had a massive sense of achievement when I finished. The last mile was hard but the crowd kept us going.”

She is now considering running similar events in Edinburgh and Exeter.