SPARKLE Appeal fundraiser Julie Knight runs her third half-marathon in five weeks next Sunday, and she hopes the Cardiff event proves a more enjoyable experience than last year.

For the 40-year-old physiotherapist with Gwent Healthcare Trust, who works with learning disabled adults at Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital and in the community, the 2007 Cardiff half-marathon was her first attempt at the distance and an ordeal she hopes she does not have to endure again.

"I hurt all over afterwards and that was going to be it for me over that distance, but now I can't wait for next weekend," she said.

Mrs Knight, a regular 10-kilometre runner, has run the Bristol half-marathon and the Great North Run as part of her plan to complete three half-marathons to raise money for the Sparkle Appeal in aid of the South Gwent Children's Centre project.

"I've made sure I put in the training and I've loved both events. The Great North Run was a fantastic experience - the crowds, the organisation, the support - wonderful," she said.

"I've also just been accepted for next year's London Marathon, in April, so I'll be stepping up the training again in the New Year."

So far Mrs Knight has raised £1,500, and another event has been added to her fundraising effort, a coffee morning at Work Well Enterprise, a learning disability training and opportunities centre, at Unit 41, Springvale industrial estate, Cwmbran, on Wednesday October 22, from 10.30am-12.30pm.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Mrs Knight may do so through www.justgiving.com/julieknight3