AN INSPIRATIONAL runner has amazed everyone by finishing a tough running race only months after defying cancer.

Dotty King, of Bere Alston, did not know whether major life-saving surgery last summer would finally clear her body of cancer, was reduced to a walking pace and feared the worst to her surgical wounds if she fell – however she decided to enter the race for her psychological wellbeing.

But six months ago, a few weeks after neck and tongue surgery, the indomitable Tavistock shopkeeper went ahead and entered the renowned tough Grizzly Race – the nine-mile version called the Cub, along the East Devon coast.

She has since been given the all-clear of cancer by her surgeon at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, after further tongue surgery.

She was, however, far from strong enough to walk and run for a while and also had to run her shop Dot-Teas Wholefoods.

However, with her iron will and the support of running buddies Emma Williams and Denise Bettey, her husband Phil and son George, she gradually got stronger. All the hard work finally paid off on Sunday (March 9) when she joined about 2,000 runners in one of the largest multi-terrain races in Europe at the start line in Seaton.

Dotty, celebrating 20 years of being a running coach, said: “I knew soon after the start that I would have a good race. Not only had I been training for months with Emma and Denise and did strength and conditioning sessions in the gym, but the sun was shining, it wasn’t windy and I felt really good. In the end I did it 19 minutes faster than last year. I feel really good about it and is a fitting way to mark my recovery which is ongoing.”

Dot has completed the Cub twice and the parallel Grizzly 20-mile course 18 times. The latter takes runners through a deep sticky-mud bog and a stream of watery mud, while both races climb the cliff up the so-called stairway to heaven.

After months of waiting for referrals Dotty was diagnosed with stage one tongue cancer in August and on the day of surgery on September 28 learned the cancer had spread to a neck lymph node and needed major surgery. After five days in the high dependency unit she returned home to recover and spent weeks getting fitter and with the help of her friends started running again and never looked back.

She still can’t use her jaw and shoulder properly and said: “I needed a focus and some way of motivating myself to get up and go, so I entered the Grizzly to give me a target and reason to train. So, we ran every week through all the weathers. It’s an amazing event to be part of.”

Dotty also also inspired community support when Lauren Blamey, 15, whom she mentored with running and with dealing with bullying, organised a public run in Tavistock and linked appeal in aid of Cancer Research UK, designed to show support for her lifelong friend. Donations reached about £3,000.