Vicki Millington, who works at Scarborough police station, will be pounding the streets of Tyneside with three friends to raise money for Action Medical Research.

She will be joined in the race by neighbour Becky Kay and her friend Cora Marshall-Kemmet, who are running in aid of Martin House hospice for children.

Making up the foursome is her police colleague Laura Carroll, who is raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Mrs Millington, of Seamer, who has two children, Holly, four and Alex, one, said: "The Great North Run is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I've always enjoyed running.

"For the past few years I have been running with neighbours and friends though I had only ever done between three and six miles.

"However, after having my second child Alex, I decided I wanted to do something for myself and chose the Great North Run."

Mrs Millington said the group had all trained hard and completed numerous 10-mile runs to prepare and were excited about the challenge.

She said: "We'll all be setting off from Scarborough at 5.50am tomorrow and we cannot believe the run is here now.

"I think nerves, coupled with the times we want to do the run in, will make for a good day to remember.

"We have all signed up to do the Scarborough 10k run in October along with other friends.

"Becky, who ran the York 10k race in under an hour this year, is 40 next year and wanted to be fit for 40, and asked Cora, who will also be 40, to run.

"They monitored each other to share times and Cora, who has been living abroad, is now back in Scarborough, so we really are mums on the run."

If anyone wants to sponsor Mrs Millington she can be contacted on 07983 712065.