A WOMAN ran 13 magical miles in a bid to raise money for charity.

Alex Gaffney, from Sherburn Hill, near Durham, took on the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Florida at the end of February where she was raising money for neurological disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

After completing her 13.1-mile run, Alex said: “The atmosphere was amazing. I was really nervous as it was my first big race. It was so well organised and there was plenty of music and fireworks.”

The 25-year-old ran the race through the Disney Resort in memory of her grandfather, who died from the disease in December 2011.

“I want people to know about PSP. I hadn’t heard about it until it affected my family and I’m pretty sure most people are the same," she said.

“It was really emotional. I was running down Main Street and my favourite Disney song was playing.

“I had been picturing that moment for a year, I was so overwhelmed I just started crying. They weren’t lying when then said every mile is magic.”

PSP is a neurological condition which slowly robs people of the ability to walk, talk, feed themselves or communicate effectively. The average life expectancy is seven years from the onset of symptoms.

Alex completed the race in two hours and 40 minutes and surpassed her fundraising total of £200. To date Alex has raised more than £620 for The PSP Association, which is the only national charity that supports people affected by PSP.