DOTTY Allen has been rewarded for her many efforts on and off the track by being named Tavistock Athletic Club athlete of the month.

She started running eight years ago mostly as a method to get fit and lose weight after her son George, and now the sport has become a big part in her life.

Shortly after joining TAC she started on the coaching pathway which led to the level 1, 2 and 3 and is now working towards her Masters in coaching.

Dotty, who is also a very active member of Bere Alston Trekkers, has always been a road runner but after a serious calf injury in June 2009 she had to rest for 10 months and had no choice but to run on the grass and has enjoyed off-road running ever since.

She took up the Grizzly challenge, training in snow blizzards on the Moor in a wind chill of -12, running in ice, fog, mud, rain and bogs, to take on the 21.5 miles of multi-terrain event and finished in a great time of 4hrs 18mins 37secs.

Dotty this year competed in her fourth London Marathon and this year finished in a superb time of 3.48.18'

She said: 'Why do I run? There are many reasons why I run, I run because I can and because I love it. I run with people that have become the best of friends, I run because I love the area where I live, I love to coach other people to run which I find very satisfying, I do not expect people to do what I cannot or will not do myself so I run hard and tried to lead by example. But most of all I run for George. I run to be a fit and healthy mum, I run to make him proud, to hear his voice screaming at me above the crowds in London "go mummy go, you can do it" makes it all worthwile. When I get tired George is the ground beneath my feet and the air in my lungs at the top of every hill.