In April next year, I am going to run the London Marathon! The London Marathon is one of the largest marathons in the world - last year there were 36, 748 runners! Many runners choose to run for different charities, so often you can see runners in fancy dress - from people wearing clown costumes, to people dressed up as chickens, to cartoon characters...

I’m very excited because, although I have run half marathons before, and done 5K and 10K races, I have never run a whole marathon before. It will be a fantastic challenge, and I’m very excited about seeing all the city landmarks along the way! A marathon is just over 26 miles (42 kilometres), so I have a lot of training to do before the big day!

I have spent the last two months in the south of France, and I have been eating croissants, baguettes and cheese, and drinking wine, so I haven’t been following a marathon diet! However, I have found some lovely rural trails to run, and, as a result, I’ve explored the local area and have seen lots of beautiful countryside.

I love running because, although it is much slower than cycling, it allows you to really see everything around you properly. I’m not a very fast runner, but I always make sure I enjoy every run I go on! I have been a member of lots of different running clubs, and I have made so many friends through running.

As well as the marathon being a fitness goal, I am also running for charity! It helps me with my training because it motivates me - especially in winter, when it is cold and dark, I don’t always want to go out for a run, but knowing that I am supporting a good cause always helps me. Fortunately, I won’t be running in fancy dress - I don’t think I have enough energy to carry a costume around the course too! - but I have been advised to put my name on the front of my jersey so people can cheer my name on the big day!