PARALYMPIC star Tanni Grey-Thompson, will be competing closer to home this weekend in one of her favourite competitions.

Tanni, who lives in Redcar, Teesside, with husband Ian, is taking part in the Redcar half marathon on Sunday for the fifth time. She has won the women's wheelchair race three times, while Ian has won the equivalent men's race twice.

The couple have been involved with the race for several years and have been helping organisers at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to make sure the terrain for the wheelchair event is just right.

Tanni, who has spina bifida, said: "Both Ian and I are delighted to be competing on our home ground because it is always great to be here and we get so much support from the spectators."

She said that she only hoped it would not be as cold as it has been in previous years because winds coming off the sea can make racing quite difficult.

Anyone wanting to take part in the race still has time to enter alongside the 600 people who have so far registered for the race.

For further details, call (01642) 444373.