TRACEY Morris has admitted she will be running through the pair barrier in order to complete her Athens fairytale later this month.

Morris who has gone from an unknown club runner to national hero over night will run in the marathon despite a back injury that has threatened her participation on August 22.

"My training hasn't gone as well as it did leading up to London," admitted Morris.

"I've had a few niggles and a bad back problem so it's not been the easiest of preparation.

"Thankfully I've had a good medical team around me who have been able to patch me up, but had I got this injury before the London Marathon I wouldn't have competed.

"The back has manipulated itself and as a result it needed re-alignment and makes it very hard to train "On top of that it's a very hilly course and it is going to be terrible in the heat, about ten miles of it is uphill so it really is going to be very painful and uncomfortable and I'm under no illusions about how hard this is going to be."

Morris qualified after running three minutes under the Athens qualifying time in the London Marathon this year. Not bad for someone running in only their second full marathon and who only took up running seriously just two years ago.

And the North Walian admits that she sometimes has to pinch herself when she looks back over the past six months.

"It's amazing really when you look back over the past few months I still don't really believe it is all happening to me. "It is the school holiday's at the moment and my husband is a teacher so we had planned to go on holiday, but that has obviously been cancelled and my husband will now come to Athens.

"I really didn't expect this to be happening and it is so amazing. To be part of the team and to wear the kit and to have everything done for you for free is just something I'm not used to."

The Holyhead 36-year-old will be joined in Athens by gold-medal favourite Paula Radcliffe as well as Liz Yelling.

And the qualified optician who now lives in Leeds is looking forward to meeting Radcliffe for the first time. "I've not spoken or met Paula yet and I'm really looking forward to it. She's a world class athlete and it is a great honour to be in the same team as her and Liz."