She may be smiling now, but skipping down a small hill wearing a daft hat will be but a fond memory for Robyn Oldham, a personal injury solicitor at York firm Harrowell Shaftoe, later this month. She has beaten competition from athletes from all over the world to win one of 75 places in the Everest Marathon later this month. Just to reach the startline, Ms Oldham will have to trek through the Himalayan foothills of Nepal for 16 days and camp out in temperatures as low as -20C. The marathon route begins at Gorak Shep, close to the Everest Base Camp at 17,000 feet. Despite the altitude, she will then run the return leg, a distance of 26.2 miles. And all this, apparently, is meant to be fun. The barminess of the long-distance runner, perhaps? Ms Oldham is donating her sponsorship proceeds to the Spinal Injuries Association and the Everest Marathon Fund, a charity supporting development projects in Nepal. Anyone wishing to sponsor her can do so on-line. Visit: www.justgiving.com/RobynO.