A 69-year-old Plumstead woman will be running her 500th marathon next Sunday.

Gina Little, from Christchurch Road, started running in 1983 and plans to run the Kent Coastal Marathon next weekend.

Mrs Little, who worked for social services at Greenwich Council before retiring, cites her favourite competition to be the Berlin Marathon which was also her first and sparked her passion for running.

She said: “I loved running the Berlin Marathon in 1983. The atmosphere was amazing and it had really wide streets and it gave me a chance to really explore Berlin as a city.”

Mrs Little said she enjoys the element of freedom when running and is looking forward to returning to Berlin at the end of September.

She added: “I’m really excited about my 500th as it’s a big milestone having run the Kent Coastal as my 100th so I’m really keen to really give it my best.

“I’m quite competitive but I suppose we all are in our own little way, but I just love to go out and run and do my own thing really.”

Mrs Little, who has been a member of the Plumstead Runners for 20 years, said she plans to celebrate completing the marathon by having a get together with her family who are visiting from Newcastle as well as the running club.

The Plumstead Runners, which began in 1987 and have just celebrated their 25th anniversary, will be supporting Gina on the day of her marathon.