She took up running just a year ago. Now Hannah Ewen is preparing for her biggest physical challenge yet – her first London Marathon.

Hannah, 27, from Tarves Way, Greenwich, started running to get fit. She had joined a local gym but decided it would be more fun (and much cheaper) to jog around Greenwich Park.

Entering the marathon was her partner Paul Bland’s idea – they were going to run together.

“Then Paul got shin splints and had to pull out, so I’m going it alone,” said Hannah, who works in the finance department of Channel 4. She chose to support the charity Bowel & Cancer Research because she suffers from ulcerative colitis, a disease which affects 120,000 people in the UK and for which there is no cure.

Despite her UC, training has been going well: Hannah finished the Bath half-marathon in 2hrs 35 mins. “It was my first time running alone – I usually run with Paul – so it was good preparation for London.

“If I finish the marathon in under 5 hrs, I’ll be happy,” she said. Chief Executive of Bowel & Cancer Research Deborah Gilbert thanked Hannah for her support. “Our vision is that no one should die of bowel cancer, have to live with chronic bowel disease or face life with a permanent stoma. The support of people like Hannah is invaluable in helping us to achieve that goal,” she said.

Anyone who wants to support Hannah can do so at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/PaulandHannah www.bowelcancerresearch.org

Based on information supplied by Anita Syvret.