A coroner’s officer ran two half marathons in a week and raised more than £1,000 for a charity whose volunteers support families and witnesses who attend inquests.

Rachel Middleton, 39, senior coroner’s officer at Huntingdon, took part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London on Sunday, October 6 and then the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough on Sunday, October 13.

Her time for the London race was two hours, six minutes and 58 seconds and, despite “howling wind and driving rain”, she finished her second race in two hours, three minutes and six seconds.

Mrs Middleton, who lives in Stilton with husband Dan and her 17-year-old son, started running only in February.

Her training regime of three runs a week, twice with a club and once at weekends, paid off - her personal best for 5k dropped from 35 minutes to 26.

“I had never run in my life,” she said. “When I first started, I used to do a three-mile loop and if I could run a mile then it was a good day.”

She ran the half marathons in aid of the Coroners’ Courts Support Service and by last week had raised £1,021.86. “The volunteers are just amazing,” she said. “I felt that supporting this fantastic charity was the least I could give back to them after all they have done for the Coroners Service in Cambridgeshire.”

Her next challenge is the Edinburgh Marathon in May next year. “I always said I wanted to do a marathon in the year I was 40,” she added.

INFORMATION: To sponsor Mrs Middleton, visit www.justgiving.com/Rachel-Middleton2 or for more on the support service, including volunteering opportunities, send an email to info@ccsupport.org.uk or call Beverley Radcliffe on 07955 245955.