TWO friends are gearing up for the Bournemouth marathon.
Jackie Poulteney, 54 and Janette Andrews 49, nicknamed the '2 J's' have been training every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for months to get ready for the gruelling 26.2 mile event on October 6.
The pair are raising money for the J's Hospice, which cares for 18 to 40-year-olds with life-long illnesses.
Janette said: "I'm 50 this year so we decided to mark it with a marathon and raise money at the same time."
It all began when Janette's daughter lost a friend to illness six years ago, and the duo decided to do the Hyde Park 5K run.
Janette said: "At the finish line I said 'that's it, forget it!' I couldn't run any further than that."
The pair then took a break, before a recent weight loss from Janette sparked her interest again.
"I'd lost two stone and was struggling to lose the rest and so Jackie suggested we start running again."
The twosome get up at 6am to start their training.
Jackie added: "We're out the door come rain or shine without fail. If you have got nothing to aim for you can easily find an excuse not to go.
"We did 20 miles last Saturday. Jackie set us up a good schedule and we have stuck to it."
They are hoping to complete the marathon in less than five hours.
