Best foot forward for charity runner Sharon Ward (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Best foot forward for charity runner Sharon Ward

10:00am Thursday 28th February 2013 in Lyme Regis By Adrianne Maslen

Family support, some tunes and ‘sheer determination’ helped a martial artist complete the Brighton half marathon.

Sharon Ward, who set up and runs Lyme Regis Taekwondo Club, completed the seafront road race close to her target time and is already looking ahead to next year’s challenge.

The 3rd Dan instructor was running in aid of the British Heart Foundation, along with brother Andy and brother-in-law Gary Noakes.

Sharon and Andy’s dad suffered a heart attack and several other heart problems and was helped by the British Heart Foundation.

Sharon ran the route in two hours and 26 minutes, just over her target time by six minutes.

She said: “It was a beautiful sunny morning and in fact quite warm with the sun beating down on you. The course was tough, especially when you run up a very long hill within the first three miles.”

Sharon’s sister, sister-in-law and nephews were out along the course cheering the trio on. She high fived her sister every time she went past her, at the two and seven-mile points and 1km from the end.

“My nephews and sister-in-law were out cheering near the 10-mile mark, which was great, as by that time your body is screaming at you to stop, everything aches and your legs are burning with pain and lactic acid,” said Sharon.

“I had some great tunes on my iPod to get me around, plus sheer determination that I would not fail, especially as I was running for a great charity. I kept thinking of that.

“My brother made it round in two hours 14 minutes, just beating his time from last year, and my brother-in-law did it in one hour 45 minutes.”

Sharon said she had a great day, but her legs were feeling the effects the next day, although this hasn’t put her off signing up to the race again. She said: “I would definitely run it again, this time train properly and try and beat my time.

“If I can run without a lot of training, then next year I can surely smash my time.”

Sharon has so far raised £150 for the British Heart Foundation and there is still time to donate at justgiving.com/sharon-ward-ninja