Grandmother, 76, treating Leeds Half Marathon as a training run for her 56th marathon

INSPIRATIONAL 76-year-old Leeds athlete Hilary Wharam will be treating this weekend's Leeds Half Marathon as a training run ahead of her 56th full marathon.
The grandmother from Rawdon, who suffers from arthritis and has to take pain killers before running, has set herself a target of completing 100 marathons before the illness prevents her from competing.
Mrs Wharam, who didn't take up running until she was in her early fifties, will be running the Leeds Half Marathon as part her her training schedule ahead of the Neolithic Marathon in Wiltshire on May 27.
8 May 2018. Picture Bruce Rollinson — INSPIRATIONAL 76-year-old Leeds athlete Hilary Wharam will be treating this weekend's Leeds Half Marathon as a training run ahead of her 56th full marathon. The grandmother from Rawdon, who suffers from arthritis and has to take pain killers before running, has set herself a target of completing 100 marathons before the illness prevents her from competing. Mrs Wharam, who didn't take up running until she was in her early fifties, will be running the Leeds Half Marathon as part her her training schedule ahead of the Neolithic Marathon in Wiltshire on May 27. 8 May 2018. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The grandmother from Rawdon, who suffers from arthritis and has to take pain killers before running, has set herself a target of completing 100 marathons before the illness makes it impossible for her to compete.

Mrs Wharam, who didn’t take up running until she was in her early fifties, will be taking part in the Leeds Half Marathon as part her training ahead of the Neolithic Marathon in Wiltshire on May 27.

The retired social welfare officer, who runs with Horsforth Harriers, has run hundreds of races.

She said: “I’m probably doing between 30 to 40 events a year from park runs up to marathons.

“My target is to complete 100 marathons before my arthritic condition prevents me running. I have to take medication in order to run at all.”

Mrs Wharam, whose husband John died aged 75 in 2015, added: “The shorter distances are good for keeping my legs going between marathons.”

Limited places remain in this Sunday’s Run for All organised Leeds Half Marathon. Go to tinyurl.com/y8bsdadg