Tauranga woman Dianne Mannington, who turns 70 in a couple of months, is out jog-running the London Marathon across Tauranga this afternoon.

The virtual 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon is taking place all over the world today, and participants will have 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds or 'from 00:00 to 23:59:59 British Summer Time” to complete the 42.2 kilometre.

The organisers say that the 40^th race is 'the world's greatest marathon, from wherever you are – it's your chance to do The 40th Race your way” on their website.

'For the first time ever, we've invited participants to run the London Marathon their way, joining up to 45,000 runners up and down the UK – and across the world,” says a 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon spokesperson.

Competitors in the race may choose to run, walk or jog – making the event the most inclusive London Marathon ever.

'We are not able to start until a minute after midday New Zealand time, because it goes by BST – British Summer Time. So no one around the world can start until that time,” says Dianne. 'It will be midnight over there in London and lunch time here.”

Dianne and husband Ben who will be her ‘waterboy' for the afternoon were poised ready at noon for the race to start. Dianne has made herself two half marathon courses.

'I start at the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club about five past 12 and run around the Daisy Hardwick boardwalk, then along the expressway, over the harbour bridge, and around the Mount. That's 21 kilometres.

'Then I carry on and start another half marathon course that leaves from the surf club down to Hart St, come back up Marine Parade, around the Mount and then do that again. Altogether it makes a total of 42.2 km.”

She will have no one running with her.

'That will be a challenge in itself, doing it by myself.”

She is however, part of a group of about 11 Kiwi runners who are all planning to complete the Virtual London Marathon today.

'Judith Wolff from Marathon Travel in Auckland organised our New York Marathon trip, and was organising London. She's made up a Facebook group of about 11 of us called the Team NZ Virtual London Marathon. There's me and someone in, I think, Te Awamutu, and the rest around Auckland, and they're doing the marathon about the same time as me. It's been neat encouraging each other on Facebook.”

The 69-year-old has been running a Body + Soul, a Tauranga fitness business for people over 50 years old for nearly 20 years and has been a fitness instructor and gym instructor for many years before that.

She started off running marathons at age 50, first participating in the Rotorua marathon.

'That was just something I decided to do because I was 50, so I haven't actually been doing it long. But I've been a fitness instructor and gym instructor since I was 30. I just all of a sudden decided to do a marathon as I was getting a bit older.”

Dianne has run the Rotorua marathon 12 times since then.

'And done the Tauranga marathon. That's only been going a few years and I've done that two or three times.”

She ran in the Rotorua marathon last week.

'It took me a while. I won't tell you how many hours because I'm a runner and walker so it takes me a lot longer than the runners.”

Dianne has been a competitive walker in the past, doing well winning a lot of medals. Today she will be seen running and walking.

'As I've got older I'm inclined to jog-walk when I do a marathon.”

She was planning to go over to London for the London marathon. She hasn't run it before, but has completed the New York, Boston and Sydney marathons.

'London was going to be another neat overseas one. It's their 40^th so it's a special one for London. I'm glad we didn't get stuck over there to be honest. The London Marathon was supposed to be in April and we had lockdown.”

Dianne will finish off the 42.2km, or two half marathons, today outside the Mount Maunganui Surf Lifesaving Service club rooms.

She carries a small bottle of water with her. Her husband Ben will be stationed somewhere along the way ready to hand her more water.

'I don't know where he'll be, just here and there. I've asked him if he will swap my bottle and give me another one. So I will have a lot of fluid. You've got to. And electrolytes.”

Dianne will be keeping an ear out for members of her four fitness classes who may pass by as she's running.

'I've mentioned it to all my classes this week – ‘if you see me or you're going for a Sunday drive, please toot out and yell your head off”. I know some of them will come past and toot or yell out.”

She will be wearing black shorts, a black singlet and a white sun visor with ‘New Zealand' across the top of it.

'I did the Queenstown marathon last year so the singlet is that one. London sent everyone their bib and race number. We have to wear that in the front, it's red, white and black.”

For those keeping an eye out for Dianne, the race number she is wearing is 5745. Give her a friendly toot and a wave!