IT STARTED back in September 2012 when Newport’s Dee Clark set herself a fundraising challenge – to run 69 10k races in 69 weeks.

Fast-foward to December 2013 and despite injury, illness and lots of tiredness, the doctor has successfully completed her aim, which was done in aid of the For Luca campaign.

But not one to stop there, Dr Clark, of Stow Park Drive, is now planning to continue her running to raise even more funds, with the aim of completing a half marathon every month in 2014.

The challenge saw Ms Clark complete a 10k race in each of the 69 UK cities with the original, ambitious aim being to raise £69,000 for the For Luca campaign, which aims to raise £1.5million for youngster Luca Williams who lost his legs to meningococcal septicaemia two years ago, aged three.

The money will pay for special prosthetics for him which are not available through the NHS and already more than £230,000 has been raised.

The 10k challenge has seen Dr Clark raise around £8,000 and so, wanting to up the funds raised, she is considering new running ways to continue her fundraising.

This is despite her not classing herself as a runner.

She said: “I think I will just keep on going, to try to raise the funds.

“I am ecstatic that I’ve finished the 10ks, though. It did seem like an enormous task in the beginning. I’ve had a lot of injuries throughout, but then I’ve remembered why I was doing it.”

Injuries have included problems with her knees and Achilles. The challenge saw Dr Clark enter 10ks in the likes of Brighton, Glasgow and Belfast.

For cities where there are no official 10k races, or where she could not enter the race on that day, she formed her own 10k route.

Her final run took place on Saturday at Tredegar House, Newport, when she completed a 5k run before taking part in the 5k park run.

Speaking at the beginning of the challenge last year, she said: “I was a non-athlete before I started this, but I just got really touched by the campaign and wanted to help.”

To sponsor Dr Clark visit www.justgiving.com/DeeClark or to read more about the challenge visit http://thetenktourfortwolegsforluca.wordpress.com/