A SPORTS instructor from York is preparing to run her first marathon later this year, and has urged any residents in training to join a free running group.

Steph Titchiner, who is 26 and works at York Sport, will take part in the inaugural Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon later this year.

The marathon will be the furthest distance Steph, who is from Fulford, has ever run.

Having finished the Great North Run last year, she has already completed a half-marathon, and said she was looking forward to the next challenge.

She said: “I’m a little bit nervous, but it’ll be good though. It’s good that it’s the first one in York.

“I’m feeling quite confident about it.

“I got to the end of the Great North Run last year and thought: ‘I could turn round and do it again’, so that’s a good sign. I might regret saying that, though.”

Steph is one of the team behind the free-to-all Just Jog Club, a running group which meets every Thursday at York Sport Village at the University of York’s Heslington East campus, with groups going out for five or ten-kilometre jogs.

She said the routes would gradually expand to help people training for October’s marathon, and anyone was welcome to join the runners.

She said: “At the moment it’s aimed at people training for the Race For Life and the Run For All, then hopefully we will be expanding those out nearer the time.

“My tip to readers would be, don’t do too much too soon, that’s a massive tip and when you look at a programme, don’t think of it as a rigid thing, work around it, don’t live your life by it.

“Stuff happens and you have to live everyday life and try to fit in training around life, rather than fit life around training,” she said.

For the latest updates on the marathon and to follow the progress of runners preparing for the race, go to yorkpress.co.uk/marathon For more information on the Just Jog Club, phone 01904 325751, or email info@york-sport.com