GET fit fanatics Rosanne and Craig Lightfoot have received a Teesside Hero Award for helping people get off their sofa and start running.

Six years ago Rosanne explained she was a size 20, hadn’t done exercise since her school days and was on anti-depressants. Now she wears a size 10, gets a natural high from exercise and runs a community running club that attracts up to 100 people a session.

The housewife from Acklam, Middlesbrough and her husband, Craig, who helps her run the club, have been rewarded a Teesside Hero Award.

They received their trophy in a surprise presentation by charitable movement Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, watched by many of those who benefit from their twice-weekly sessions around Hemlington Lake.

Mrs Lightfoot said that in 2009 she was “size 18, going on size 20”, had been on anti-depressants for six or seven years and was still recovering from a breakdown.

Her life began to change on a Saturday morning six years ago when her then 14-year-old daughter Megan told her she wanted to take part in the popular Park Run in Middlesbrough’s Albert Park.

“I wouldn’t let her go by herself so I took her along and joined in,” she explained. "I hated it, but Megan wanted to go back so I’d go along with her every week, hoping she’d get it out of her system.

“I was last every week for months but by the time Megan had had enough I was hooked. I used to chunter away to myself, saying ‘I hate this’, but then the feelgood factor kicked in. I started to get a natural endorphin kick from the running.

“I went from being size 20 to size 10, from taking 40 minutes to cover the 5k course to 26 minutes."

Mrs Lightfoot, who is dyslexic, set up community running club Swift-Tees, who now meet every Tuesday morning.