A grandmother who has been running for 12 years is set to be the oldest woman to take part in the London Marathon this weekend.

Irene Clarke, 83, from Epsom, will be joining the scores of runners at the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday (April 25) because she “loves running”.

The mother-of-one and grandmother-of-two has been running since she was 56 and, ever since she completed her first marathon, at the age of 61, she decided to keep running at every opportunity.

Mrs Clarke said: “I took up running a little bit before my husband died. He never saw me run a marathon. The reason I like it is because it doesn’t really cost you anything and it’s so rewarding. I got quite a lot out of it and I met quite a lot of people.”

The former accountant runs three days a week, but has taken a rest this week to be fit enough for Sunday’s race.

Her daughter, Michelle, who will be celebrating her birthday on Sunday, has decided to attend the marathon to follow Mrs Clarke’s progress.