THREE women are in pursuit of breaking personal records for distance running by training in the challenging wintry weather on Exmoor.

Claire Cockram and Mary Menon, who live in the village of Exford, and Jane Sandiford, from Dulverton, are all focusing attention on their events being held later this year.

Fitting training in with raising families and getting to work on time can sometimes be a marathon in itself and often a ten-mile run starts early morning before light!

Mary is organising her first competition on Sunday, March 29, which she says will be “over beautiful moorland, farmland, country lanes and tracks”.

Mary, who won three marathons in 2014 at Cheddar, Langport and North Devon, is holding her own run to raise funds for the Devon Air Ambulance and Devon and Somerset Deer Management Scheme.

Details for the ten-mile race can be found on Facebook Run Exmoor 2015. Jane and Claire, meanwhile, have both been accepted to take part in the 2015 London Marathon on Sunday, April 26.

“That will be much flatter,” said Claire. To support her charity, CLIC Sargent, Claire is organising an evening of entertainment at the Exford village hall on Saturday, February 28.

“I am looking for a variety of acts who I hope will be tempted by the £100 cash and other star prizes we have on offer,” she said.

“It will be a contest as well as a lot of fun, with the audience finally picking the winners.” Tickets are already on sale in the White Horse Inn and The Crown Hotel bars in Exford or telephone 01643-831151 for information.

Jane’s chosen charity is the National Autistic Society and a series of coffee mornings is being held at Dulverton Town Hall, the first on Saturday, February 28.