A LONG distance runner who sustained gruesome pus filled blisters from a 69 mile ultra run said she has not been put off doing another one.

Julie Nisbet, of Shildon, County Durham, applied sun tan lotion before and during the ambitious Carlisle to Newcastle run called The Wall.

Her ecstasy at completing the run in about 21 hours soon turned to agony as she noticed the backs of her legs were beginning to blister.

It was 4.15am when she completed the race and after a couple of hours sleep at home she noticed the tiny bubbles on her legs had grown a bit.

Unsure of what to do she headed to the Urgent Care Centre, in Bishop Auckland, where nurses bandaged them up and told her to return in a couple of days later.

She knew they were bad but it wasn’t until the bandages were removed that she realised her legs were covered in giant pus filled blisters.

“The blisters have definitely overshadowed the run a bit for me,” said Mrs Nisbet. “Don’t get me wrong the run was really difficult and there were a number of times when I wanted to drop out. I saw many people do just that but I wanted to finish.

“If it wasn’t for the blisters I would have been fine.”

“I put sun cream on at the start and at points along the way but I knew from about 35 miles in that they were going to be sore.”

Mrs Nisbet accepts the blisters are her fault although it has been suggested to her a number of times since she posted the images of her legs on social media that the burns that can be sustained from Giant Hogweed.

“Obviously there were quite a lot of runners out there and I haven’t seen anyone else mention they have suffered this so it probably is sunburn but the blisters look very similar,” she added.

The 34-year-old keen runner, who has completed a number of marathons and half marathons in the past said despite being desperate to get running again she is going to wait until her wounds have fully healed.

“I am up for a challenge,” added Mrs Nisbet, who said she has received messages of support from across the world since posting the images on Facebook and Twitter.

“I wanted to try something different and I liked the idea of pushing my body to see what I could do.

“I think I would be daft not to wait for them to heal properly. They are much better but they are still uncomfortable and I can feel my skin stretching when I stand up.

“I have never seen sunburn like it before and I have learnt my lesson.”

“I don’t think I will do anything further than 69 miles but I wouldn’t say no to having another go. This time I would take my training seriously and make it a best and most positive experience I could.

“I don’t think I prepared fully but I did it and I am very proud of what I have done.”