After seeing her friend go through intense chemotherapy to treat cervical cancer, Rebecca Wass decided she would run a marathon to raise money for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where her friend was treated.

And even though running 26 miles is daunting enough, Miss Wass has fibromyalgia, which means she is always in pain. But that won’t stop her from taking to the streets of Edinburgh on May 31.

“For me to do anything physical is a huge achievement,” said Miss Wass, who is the deputy community leader at Emmaus Norwich in Ditchingham. “If someone said two years ago I would be doing the Edinburgh marathon I would have laughed.

“I’ve seen Anna go through the treatment and agony to still be here. As much as I’ll be hurting it’ll worth it. And it would be nice to stop someone else going through what Anna has.”

To make things a little harder, Miss Wass, who lives at the Emmaus centre, will be running dressed as a unicorn to raise money for the hospital’s Targeted Radiotherapy Unit.

“Anna would have intense chemo for eight hours on a Friday every three weeks,” said Miss Wass. “A group of us wanted to keep her happy during it so we set up a Facebook group and posted pictures of us wearing tiaras as she’s always been known as Princess Anna and loved unicorns.

“It was something to let her know we were thinking of her so I will be dressed as a unicorn for the marathon and it will bring a bit of fun to it.”

The 34-year-old is hoping to raise £1,000 for the hospital and said she is looking forward to the run despite only starting full training in March.

She said: “I started training late and it was ridiculously stupid and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I’m looking forward to it. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when I was 17.

“It has taken me seven years from being really poorly to where I am now. This marathon is proving to me I can do something and helping others.” https://www.justgiving.com/annasunicorn/