Dartmouth mother-of-three Kari-Ann Webb thought her dream of running the London Marathon had been dashed after she failed to get onto the list of runners for this year's epic race.

Then she entered a women's magazine competition for a bit of fun – and ended up winning herself a place in next month's marathon line-up.

The 30-year-old mum also won herself a tailor-made training programme and the opportunity to run the marathon alongside Debbie Daley – the mother of Olympic diver Tom Daley.

Kari-Ann, who lives in Britannia Avenue, Dartmouth, will be making the run to raise cash for Samantha Dixon Brain Tumour Trust chosen by Tom Daley's mum after his father died of brain cancer last May.

And Kari-Ann is detailing her weekly training activities in the run up to the marathon in a web blog on the magazine web site.

Said Kari-Ann: 'I thought my marathon running dream was over. Then I saw the competition in the magazine. I really wanted to run and I had nothing to lose so I entered.'

Kari-Ann lives with her partner and three children – Georgia, nine, Jonny, three, and nine-month-old Elsa.

She is a member of the Dartmouth Athletic Club and works as the accounts and room hire manager at Dartmouth's Flavel.

She started running in 2009 and the longest event she has run so far is a half marathon.

But she has already managed a 15-mile training run, despite still regularly getting up in the middle of the night to feed little Elsa.

Kari-Ann saw the advert in Zest magazine and explained: 'I had to email a bit about myself and say why I should be able to run the marathon.'

She said the magazine provided her with a training programme which she is sticking to, plus the chance to write a weekly blog in the run-up to the marathon.

'They have been sending me training plans every four weeks. It is hard and getting harder but I really do love it and I am going to be a bit sad when it is over,' she added.

Youngsters at Stoke Fleming Primary School have already raised £72 towards Kari-Ann's sponsorship. Kari-Ann is a former pupil of the school and is now a governor while her daughter Georgia is now a pupil there.