A YEAR later than planned, Katie Peters is preparing to take part in the London Marathon in aid of homelessness charity Llamau.

Katie, who is the strategic and southern planning director for the Edenstone Group, was originally due to run the London Marathon in 2021, but six weeks before the race had to withdraw because of an injury.

“I was diagnosed with a femoral neck stress fracture, not an injury to be messed with and certainly not one I could have run 26.2 miles on without putting myself at risk of some serious hip damage,” Katie explains.

“The running stopped, I cried, I got frustrated and then I cycled, I swam and took myself to the gym. With the help of some amazing medical and sports professionals including Dave Sheldon, Mark Buckingham and Geoff Twinning I was given the all clear to run again in March and recommenced training.”

Katie says she’s “eternally grateful to Llamau for their patience” and for allowing her to defer her place in the race to October 2.

“I am determined to get to both the start and the finish line of the 2022 London Marathon,” Katie, 41, from Catbrook, Monmouthshire, adds.

Katie’s employers will be match funding any money she raises for Llamau with a donation via the Edenstone Foundation. The Foundation receives a proportion of the proceeds from every home sold by the Edenstone Group to support good causes.

“My work at Edenstone assists in the development of new homes for those people lucky enough to be able to get on the housing ladder, but there are so many other people out there in need of help, especially given current circumstances,” she says.

Katie aims to raise £2,200 for Llamau, the leading homelessness charity in Wales, including sponsorship received last year.

Asked for a prediction of how long it will take her to complete the marathon, Katie says she’s targeting under five hours.

“At the moment I’m largely concentrating on getting to the start line given last year’s events. I’ve got the goals – gold, silver and bronze. Gold is under four and a half hours, silver is sub-five hours and bronze is just to finish and enjoy it.”

As part of her training she’s running four times a week, cycling, swimming and working out in the gym too.

Remarkably, Katie only took up running in 2019 and before signing up to the marathon 7km was the furthest she’d run. To help with her training she signed up with running coaching company New Levels Coaching and joined Chepstow Harriers Running Club.

Her longest run to date is 16 miles and she’s planning to run 20 miles on September 10.

“I’ve never thought of myself as a runner or even as being fit,” Katie says.

“Running gives me a purpose and some me-time and has now taken over my life, become part of me and who ‘I am’. Running has been my go-to when I’ve been stressed, upset or angry.”

Katie says she’s swapped spending money on dresses, handbags and pretty shoes for buying running tights, hydration packs and shoes of a very different kind – although just as many.

Her Sundays are no longer for lazing about in front of the TV – it’s long run day, followed by plenty of carbs.

To support Katie’s fundraising in aid of Llamau see https://tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/katie-peters.