A volunteer from Teignmouth Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) is preparing to take part in her second London Marathon less than 18 months after she first started running.

Anne Steele Arnett, who volunteers as a visits officer at Teignmouth Lifeboat station, only took up running 15 months ago after a hand injury temporarily stopped her from playing golf.

‘I’m no spring chicken’, admitted Anne, who has been volunteering for the RNLI for 23 years. However, finishing last year’s marathon and raising much needed funds for the RNLI gave her a great sense of achievement.

‘I loved it last year; the best experience of my life so far,’ she claimed.

Anne’s running journey started in November 2023 when she began walking, then jogging a little before joinin a ‘Couch to 5k’ group. She is now a parkrun regular, both as a runner and a volunteer marshall / timekeeper, and she is a member of the Dawlish Coasters running group.

Last year, Anne raised over £3000 for the RNLI after she was offered a last-minute place in the London Marathon, just six weeks before the event. This year, she has set herself a fundraising target of £2,300.

Anne has had plenty more time to prepare for this year’s 26.3 mile event and has been posting regular updates on a blog on her JustGiving fundraising page.

The 2025 London Marathon takes place on April 27.

Teignmouth Lifeboat station has been operating since 1851 and volunteers are committed to saving lives at sea 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As well as operating a search and rescue service along the south coast of Devon, volunteers offer

The station welcomed a new lifeboat, a B-Class Atlantic 85 rigid inflatable boat (RIB) named Claude and Kath, last autumn which replaced ‘The Two Annes’, which was retired after 18 years of service.