India 100-marathon runner battles illness and heat

A woman who is attempting to run 100 marathons in 100 days across India said she has had to battle the heat and a bout of sickness.

Hannah Cox, who lives on a canal boat in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, ended up in hospital on day 49 of her challenge.

The 41-year-old told BBC Radio Manchester that "it is very, very hot" but she is keeping going as she is "resilient".

She is running the marathons for charity and in memory of her father who was born in India.

Her route covers more than 2,600 miles (4,200km) and she is now two-thirds of the way through her challenge.

Ms Cox, who started in October, said: "Unfortunately, on day 49 I got really, really sick.

"I ended up running quite sick for about a week and ended up in hospital.

"But I'm still going - we are a resilient bunch."

Ms Cox, whose Anglo-Indian ancestors worked for the British East India Company, said she had been "obsessed" with wanting to travel a route used by the British to implement a controversial salt tax during its rule over India, ever since she read about it in 2014.

The death of her Kolkata-born father Deric in 2011 increased her interest in India.

He had moved to the UK in the 1960s and his daughter said she was "always fascinated by the fact my dad came from a different country".

Ms Cox said she is "really against a lot of the values" behind the East India Company, which relied on the work of enslaved people and financial exploitation.

She hopes to raise £1m for various environmental charities and causes.

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