Cheltenham woman to complete 40th birthday marathon challenge

A woman is set to finish a worldwide marathon challenge to mark her 40th birthday.

Gemma Percival, from Cheltenham, decided to take part in four marathons in a year to mark the milestone, including the London Marathon in April.

She will finish her challenge on New Year's Eve by taking part in the Melbourne marathon in Australia.

Ms Percival said: "I've only run half marathons until this year so I thought it would be a great challenge."

Raising money for Whizz-Kidz, a UK charity who provide support and equipment for young wheelchair users, Ms Percival has also taken part in marathons in Halifax, Canada and in Dublin, Ireland.

Ms Percival, who works as a business accountant at Benefact Group in Gloucester, decided on locations in areas where the company are based.

'Life begins at 40'

"It's been quite daunting. Certainly the first one. I'd never done a marathon before so the training was difficult but I stuck to the plan."

"On the day, there's just so many people around you," she added.

Ms Percival said the crowds, especially in London, kept her going when times got tough.

She said: "As everyone says, you always hit a wall at around the 20 mile mark."

She has so far raised £4,000, which will be doubled by her employer.

"According to the well-known phrase, life begins at 40, and what better way to celebrate than to take on a few marathons, one for every decade," she added.