A RUNNER completed the London Marathon on Sunday unaware she had fractured her ankle two weeks earlier.

In fact, Emily Roberts, of Brixham Close in Stevenage, smashed her target finish time of six hours and completed her first ever marathon in five hours 15 minutes.

Unknown to Emily, she had actually fractured her ankle in training two weeks prior to the race.

“There wasn’t an occasion when I thought I had done something,” she explained. “I was running my 20-mile big one before the race when I just felt it hurting.

“Over the last two weeks it hurt and I was in flat shoes, I was in that much pain.”

Emily, who only took up running at Christmas, said she went to an injury clinic in Stevenage and was told to ice her ankle.

“I was so excited, nothing was going to stop me doing the marathon,” the 34-year-old said.

“I ran, and then afterwards it was so swollen.”

Emily went to Lister Hospital in Stevenage yesterday (Tuesday) and was told her ankle was fractured. She was put in a cast from her foot to her knee.

“I can’t believe it,” she said.

By completing the marathon, Emily has raised �2,500 for Childhood First – a charity which provides residential care, education and therapy

to children and young people affected by abuse, neglect and deprivation.

Asked about her marathon experience, Emily said: “It was the best experience of my life. It’s one big energy shot from the crowds the whole way around.”

She said she plans to enter the London Marathon again next year.