Kirsty Woodward-Owen has run the Stroud Half Marathon twice before – but this year is the first time she will be taking part as a “proper runner”.

The 34-year-old joined Stroud Athletic Club last year and is hoping to shave 15 minutes off her personal best for the race which this takes place this year on Sunday 21st October.

“I ran it eight years ago and again three years ago,” said Kirsty. “Both times I ran two hours, 30. Fifteen minutes is quite a lot to take off but hopefully with the structured training at the club it’s something I can do.”

And Kirsty is certainly pleased that she joined Stroud AC.

“I wanted to become a better runner,” she said. “I’d never joined a club before and at first I felt a bit intimidated. I thought they’d all be stick thin and incredibly fast. But the club is really inclusive and really welcoming.

“I now feel like a proper runner.

“I signed up with the beginners’ group last October and completed the Couch to 5K. I’ve definitely improved as a runner. I always used to run the canal paths but now look forward to certain hills,” before adding with a laugh, “but don’t tell anyone!

“I’ve now learned the technique to run up hills and to run distances.”

A half marathon is the furthest she has ever run but she admits that one day she’d like to run a marathon.

“It’s on my bucket list,” she added.

Any marathon in particular?

“Yes, I’d like to run THE marathon,” she replied.

As pretty much every distance runner knows – certainly in this country – THE marathon is the London Marathon, a race that Kirsty has applied to run every year for the past five years.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do if I do get in the race,” she laughed, “but if you can run a half, why not a marathon?”

Her favourite distance is 10K. “It’s a bit harder than a 5K but it’s survivable,” she said. “My fastest time is one hour, 10 but I’d like to crack an hour.”

Kirsty will be running the Stroud Half with her friend Georgina Harsant who joined Stroud AC at the same time as her, and Ryan Major, their run leader, is going to pace them.

That will be a challenge in itself and Kirsty admits to having “a love/hate relationship with running”.

“I hate the thought of it,” she said, “but I feel like superwoman when I’ve done it. It’s good head space, I have a busy family life as well as a busy work life.”

She certainly does. Married to Paul and mum to Megan, 10, and Maisie, 5, she also works pretty much full time as a midwife at Stroud Maternity Hospital as well as running her own baby massage business one morning a week.

And one of the motivating factors driving her forward as she prepares for her third Stroud Half is that she is hoping to raise money for what is a very good cause.

Kirsty, who raised money for Cotswold Care Home in 2010, is raising money so that she and 23 other midwives can pay for a course that will enable them to offer counselling to women and their partners who have had traumatic births.

The course, which takes place before the end of the year, costs £4,400 and Kirsty added: “Jane Allen, who started the Gloucester Traumatic Birth Recovery Network, raised £1,000 after running the Severn Bridge 10K.

“None of us have had counselling training as midwives. We want to train and be able to offer it to more women and couples as part of our daily job.”

Kirsty is hoping to raise at least £500. To make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kirsty-owen