A 50-year-old librarian at the University of Oxford exceeded her fundraising target during a 10K race for Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Clare Kavanagh raised a total of £340 in the Bidwells Oxford race for the charity that supports people living with one of more than 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions.

Ms Kavanagh, a college librarian at Mansfield College, was inspired by her cousin Liz's three sons who live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This wasn't her first time participating in the Bidwells Oxford 10K as she had also run the race in 2017 with her daughter Charlotte who ran in the junior race.

Oxford Mail: Liz's three sons live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

She said: "I've just turned 50 and wanted to do something for me.

"I certainly wouldn't describe myself as a natural runner, but I find being outdoors good for my headspace.

“I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as a natural runner, but I find being outdoors is good for my headspace and I’ve joined a women’s running group, 261 Fearless Club Bicester, which has been a great help.

“The Oxford 10k has such a great atmosphere and it’s a real community event.

"And of course, I did this for Liz’s sons, James, Joshua, and Myles as they are a huge inspiration to me.”

Ms Kavanagh has long been a supporter of Muscular Dystrophy UK, with her family fostering a close-knit involvement with the organisation for nearly 10 years.

Back in December 2013, her cousin Liz's son, James, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy following a blood test after Liz and her husband Sean noticed changes to his core strength.

Oxford Mail: Ms Kavanagh has long been a supporter of Muscular Dystrophy UK, with her family fostering a

At first, doctors thought James was just developing slowly.

When he started having trouble getting up from the floor and showed significant muscle weakness, they sent him for blood tests.

The diagnosis came while Liz was pregnant with her twin boys, Joshua and Myles, who were later found to also have the condition.

The family has raised nearly £100,000 through their Muscular Dystrophy UK family fund, I Fight For James, embracing challenges such as skydiving, zip wire challenges, running the London Marathon, and, in Ms Kavanagh's case, the Oxford 10K.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a muscle-wasting condition caused by the lack of a protein called dystrophin.

It usually affects only boys and about 100 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are born in the UK each year.

There are around 2,500 boys and young men known to be living with the condition in the UK at any one time.