Elite Shropshire runner Kim Fawke has set her sights on the Berlin marathon – if she can secure the funding to compete.

The 33-year-old from Madeley in Telford ran a new personal best in London last week, completing the famous course in 2hrs 39mins 22secs – finishing as the fourth British woman home in the process.

That shaved more than two-and-a-half minutes off her previous best of 2.41:56, which she clocked while representing England in Toronto over the winter.

It was her third London marathon and maintained her record of going quicker every time she has hit the streets of the capital.

Mother-of-one Fawke has already been invited to run for England at Toronto again, but is looking for a new challenge.

“I don’t like doing the same races year-in-year-out and I’m looking into the possibility of going to Berlin in September,” she revealed.

“Now I’ve gone under 2hrs 40mins, that qualifies me as an elite athlete and it means the organisers of the Berlin marathon would pay for some of my accommodation.

“I’m just trying to find out if the air fare is included because I wouldn’t be able to afford it as a mother and working only part-time.

“But I’ve spoken to my coach and he said Berlin would definitely be a good one to do.”

Recalling her run in London last Sunday, Fawke even insisted she could have gone faster had the conditions been more conducive.

“I was always confident of going sub-2.40 and if it wasn’t so warm I think I could have gone quicker,” she insisted.

“I have to be honest and say I was a bit hot and bothered for the last six miles and I just wanted to get out of the sun because, being fair-haired, I don’t like it too much at any time.”

Fawke, a housing and council tax benefits assessor for Telford & Wrekin Council, was supported from afar by her son Nathan, aged five, on the big day.

“He stayed at home with my parents and was watching it on television,” she said. “He was quite excited and very pleased to see my medal when I got home.”

By CHRIS HUDSON