SUPER veteran Delia Hammerton is not content with just running a half-marathon in this country. Instead, she is travelling to the Arctic Circle next month to tackle the 13.

By Carl Marston

SUPER veteran Delia Hammerton is not content with just running a half-marathon in this country. Instead, she is travelling to the Arctic Circle next month to tackle the 13.1-mile distance.

Experienced marathon runner Delia, aged 65, is set to take part in the Midnight Sun Half-Marathon at Tromso in northern Norway on June 16.

The Ipswich-based veteran is one of a small group of Ipswich Jaffa runners scheduled to attend this unique event. The others include John Tunaley, and Keith and Viv Woodgate.

Delia has been cramming in the miles in training, and it's all for a good cause.

“I will be raising money for the East Anglia Air Ambulance,” revealed Delia.

“The event is a little different. I have run the London Marathon, as well as the New York and Dublin marathons, but this will make a change to run in the Arctic, and so late at night.

“I hope to run under two-and-a-half hours, which would be a good time for someone of my age. I finished the Dublin Marathon in just over five hours last year,” added Delia.

Long distance runner Delia lives in Valley Road, Ipswich, and has been doing most of her training around town, concentrating on distances of between eight and 10 miles.

She is an honorary member of Ipswich Jaffa, having first joined the club back in the early 1980s.

Tromso, at nearly 70 degrees of latitude, enjoys 24 hours of daylight for two months of the year, between the middle of May and middle of July.

The sun doesn't set for this two-month period, and even when it's cloudy, it's still broad daylight. It is the northernmost AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Road Races) certified marathon in the world.

Delia will be taking part in the half-marathon. Other distances on offer are the full marathon, 10K, 4.2km fun run and a children's fun run.

Runners from more than 30 different countries are expected to toe the line in the various events.

Meanwhile, fellow Jaffa member John Weston has also been in action abroad. He set a personal best time of 3hrs 26mins 52secs at the Pisa Marathon in Italy last weekend.