The editor of a weekly paper has left the comfort of her office chair and instead been pounding the hills and valleys of Wales in preparation for the upcoming London Marathon.

Bev Thomas, managing editor of the Cambrian News, has almost reached her target of £5,000 already – with six weeks still to go before the event.

She has battled with aching joints and bruised feet, been drenched by cars splashing through puddles and sprayed with grit, but has forged on and can be found training along Aberystwyth’s promenade and local forestry trails most evenings.

All money raised from Bev’s marathon effort will go to the British Heart Foundation – a charity she chose as her 85-year-old father underwent a life-saving triple bypass eight years ago.

She said she has worked up to runs of 19 miles since the new year.

“There have been some real lows – and not many highs – in my training journey. First there was the problem with my poor, old, creaking knees and hips. Then my toenails started turning black from all the pressure on my feet,” she said.

“I have also arrived home from runs scratched and bloody from arguments with hedges. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been splashed by passing motorists. And I was even pelted with grit from a moving gritter lorry.

“But on the plus side, it’s great to be able to give something back to the charity that helps so many people suffering from heart problems.”

Cambrian News managing editor Bev Thomas is pictured with local businessman Mel Evans, who acted as auctioneer for charity fundraising evening

To date, Bev has raised £4,800 – and hopes to reach £5,000 by the time the 26-mile challenge takes place in April.

To raise the cash, she has organised a number of fundraising events including a Welsh Curry Evening and Auction on St David’s Day.

The night, for which Bev also persuaded local football players to swap their kits for shirts and dickie bows to act as waiters, raised nearly £2,700 towards her total.

A local bus company proprietor acted as auctioneer for the evening and entertainers gave their services free of charge. She also managed to convince local supermarkets to provide wine free of charge for the tables.

She added: “The whole evening was a hoot and so many people were so generous with their time and money.”

To read more about Bev’s experience or to donate, visit her JustGiving page.