A NORTH Somerset woman is set to head to the capital to run the London Marathon in honour of a friend she lost to breast cancer.

Lorraine Allfrey, of Church Lane, Backwell, will make the 26.2 mile slog in April for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

She has raised almost £3,000 already and is hoping to collect as much as possible before the big run.

The fundraising was set up in honour of her friend Tanith, a mother-of-two who died of breast cancer at the age of 35 just over five years ago.

Lorraine, aged 38, said: “Right now the thought of running two half marathons back-to-back seems quite impossible.

“I won’t find it easy, but I have been training hard to prepare myself for the 26.2 miles ahead, despite the constant rain we’ve had.

“But when I’m out running during the winter months and it’s freezing or worse still wet, I think about why I signed up... five years ago we lost a very dear friend to breast cancer at the tender age of just 35.

“Tanith would have turned 40 December just gone and this is my gift to her.

“We can’t make a difference for Tan, but we can help fight this disease which 130 UK women are diagnosed with every day”

To make a donation, go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Lorraine