Todmorden Harriers chairman Mandy Goth braved searing heat and immensely difficult terrain on the 24-hour Verdon Canyon Trail race near Nice in France on the final weekend in June to raise funds for the Living Well - Calderdale Women's Cancer Support Network.

It aims to promote the health and well-being of women with cancer in Calderdale by enabling them to access complementary care, support and therapies alongside their conventional National Health Service treatment, also promoting a holistic complementary approach towards cancer within the wider community.

Mandy, of Hebden Bridge, was timed out tantalisingly close to completing the race but her sponsors were convinced she had done well enough to make their donation. Her run was all the more remarkable as she has been battling cancer herself.

Conditions of searing heat and tough terrain meant that only a fifth of the 250 who started the race, all highly experienced runners, actually completed it. And Mandy's main frustration on being timed out was that she felt good and the remaining part of the race was over easier terrain.

"They reckoned that I didn't have enough time left to cover the last 20 km of the 102 km - but it would have been an easier section on paths rather than terrain," she said.

A major factor causing runners difficulties was the heat - around 40 C at its worst, said Mandy, and 38 C most of the time. She drank 10 litres of water to keep hydrated during the race.

"You usually want to make the most of daylight in a run like this but this time was different. The paths were so rocky too - you couldn't run easily, there were bushes sticking out and rocks everywhere," she said.

Mandy had some running company in the form of another of the Harriers taking part in the race, Rhys Watkins, and the two were only timed out by about ten minutes, an indication of how close they were.

"We both feel we had done ourselves justice and we were 61st at that point. The heat made it particularly difficult but there were problems at night too - going over massive hills in the dark on paths that were not too well designed for runners. It is very disorientating in the dark too.

"Harrier Christine Preston, who was the second lady to finish in 22 hours and 20 minutes, said it was the hardest thing she'd ever done. But we're going back next year - I don't like being defeated and this is unfinished business!" she said.

Mandy was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2006 and during 2007 underwent six sessions of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiotherapy but kept running throughout even though her treatment affected her lungs.

An experienced runner and mountaineer, she has completed the famous Bob Graham Round and after completing her course of treatment quickly completed some distance races.