Portsmouth-based, Marketing and PR trainee Debbie Osborne has raised over £600 for Cancer Research after running the 10-mile Great South Run for the first time.

Debbie, who works for LCM PR & Marketing in Fareham, ran the race, blighted by terrible rain and wind, in 2 hours 6 minutes and 41 seconds – around 30 minutes quicker than she thought.

The Trainee Account Manager, who also works as a freelance sports writer, had trained for the event but admitted to not doing as much as she perhaps should have done.

Debbie said: “Although I am heaps fitter than I have ever been, I didn’t even make it to the half-way stage in training. Come the day I was incredibly nervous and was absolutely dreading attempting to run in the conditions. The last two miles were by far the hardest and the challenge to get to the finish line was immense – I had a huge smile on my face at the end, but it was more through relief than anything!”

The twenty-seven year old added: “Two things got me through the race, firstly the superb atmosphere despite the weather, and secondly knowing I was raising money for such a good cause.

“I decided to run in memory of my Nan, Paddy Such, who died of lung cancer over seven years ago, as well as Gwyn Foster, a family friend who passed away earlier this year. Raising over £600 for Cancer Research means such a lot to me and I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me, from the bottom of my heart.”

Debbie is not ruling out running in the popular Portsmouth event again but is looking for other, less physically demanding, fund-raising ideas in the near future.

She said: “I need to forget about the pain of this year’s run before considering whether to go through it all again! I won’t be stopping my support of Cancer Research though and am planning some ideas for next year.”

Debbie can still be sponsored for her incredible achievement in completing the Great South Run by looking on: www.justgiving.com/debshatesrunning.