Ivybridge runner Miranda Rickard has won the chance to compete against the world’s best at the obstacle course racing world championships in Ohio, held on October 17 and 18 writes Tim Leigh.

However, Miranda only qualified for the event last week thanks to a stellar performance at the Reebok Spartan event in Tunbridge Wells.

As a result, she is now desperately seeking sponsorship to enable her to take part in the opportunity she has worked so hard to earn.

Miranda, who works for Premier Sport as an area manager, spending time teaching PE in primary schools, only started competing in these races in March this year.

It was originally just a bit of fun with her partner and friends, but she has now well and truly been bitten by the competitive bug.

She admitted: ‘The more I’ve done it the more I wanted to compete. I’ve pretty much been averaging one of these races a weekend since I started.

‘I knew the Reebok Spartan event was a World Championships qualifier and I just thought I’d go along and see how I did without really expecting much, as there was between five and six thousand people racing.

‘I finished second in the sprint and third in the longer-distance event, which meant I qualified for the worlds. It’s all been a bit mad really.’

Just to give an idea of her impressively hectic schedule, September saw Miranda compete in the Go Hard event in Exeter, which she won, on September 4 before the Reebok Spartan event on the weekend of September 19 and 20.

The following weekend, she took part in one luckily a bit closer to home, the Mud and Sweat Mud Run at the River Dart Country Park on September 27.

Just in case one might think she at least has her evenings free, she also happens to teach body combat classes at Marjon Uni­versity and the Nuf­field, as well as training with Erme Valley Har­riers to improve both her speed and endurance capabilities.

She says she is especially grateful to the Harriers for all their help, saying: ‘The Harriers have been brilliant.

‘I actually used to train with them when I was 15 or 16 so I asked if I could join them for a few sessions and they’ve been really great.’

In addition to the world championships, Miranda has also qualified for the UK championships, which take place in Essex in Nov­ember 14.

Anybody who is in a position to help budding star Miranda with the sponsorship she needs and certainly deserves can contact her on [email protected] or on 07809 204315.