A UNIVERSITY lecturer who lost her grandmother to lung cancer said she had signed up for a 10k run to "help fight a horrible disease".

Jill Hanson will be running in her third race for Cancer Research UK when she takes part in the run at Kedleston Hall later this month.

The mum-of-one entered her first fund-raiser, a 5k Race for Life in Aberdeen, as a way of losing weight after giving birth to her 18-month old son, Alexander Pumford.

But the 33-year-old also said her family and her life had often been touched by cancer, including the death of her grandmother, Irene, 78, nine years ago.

And, in 2003, her mother's stepmum, Janet Burns, died in her 70s of breast cancer.

Jill, a business psychology and human resources management lecturer at the University of Derby, said: "I've always been acutely aware of cancer and a lot of family and friends have suffered because of it, whether they have got it themselves or just know someone who has.

"It's really important to raise money to fight something as horrible as this because it can make such a difference to people's lives.

"That's what makes running in events like these so rewarding."

Jill, who lives in Oakover Drive, Allestree, with her son and her husband, Mark Pumford, 36, entered her first run, in Aberdeen, while working in Scotland in 2008.

This was followed by another 5k Race for Life run in Derby in May.

Jill, who is running with friends, added: "Cross-country and running was always my least favourite activity at school – I always hated it.

"But when I wanted to lose weight after giving birth, I was in Scotland and could not get to the gym easily, so I decided to enter a 5k race instead.

"Since then, I've realised how easy it is just to do a bit of running when I want to exercise and, by keeping fit and healthy, I am also protecting myself from cancer as well."

Jill has set herself a fund-raising target of £300.

She said: "I'm also hoping to go around the university with a bucket to raise more money and I'm training hard to try and do the run in an hour.

"I'm really pleased I've making the jump from 5k to 10k because that's my own personal achievement within these runs, which is what it is all about. That's why it's nice to see everyone cheer each other on."

More than 800 people have already signed up for the 10k run, which takes place at Kedleston Hall on Sunday, September 27.

To enter, visit www.cancer researchuk.org

Click here to read more news from Derby University