PAIN is no barrier for mother-of-four Emma Maddison, who ran seven miles of a half marathon with a broken ankle.The 31-year-old had just passed the six-mile marker in the 13-mile Felixstowe half marathon on Sunday when she felt her ankle "go click".

PAIN is no barrier for mother-of-four Emma Maddison, who ran seven miles of a half marathon with a broken ankle.

The 31-year-old had just passed the six-mile marker in the 13-mile Felixstowe half marathon on Sunday when she felt her ankle "go click".

Fortunately, help was quickly at hand for Emma – who was running with her friend Rachel Alexander, who is a nurse.

Emma said: "We had just gone past the six-mile marker and I felt it go click. Rachel, being a nurse, said she would strap it up for me. I was moving it but it kept on clicking."

Rachel ripped in half Emma's knee support and used half on the knee – which had been troubling Emma during the week – and the other half on the ankle.

"It wasn't so bad, said Emma. "It was worse to stand on but then it was ok when I was running. It was just uncomfortable really but I completed the race ok."

The next day Emma was still feeling discomfort from her ankle and so husband Roy decided to take her to Ipswich Hospital.

She said: "We went to a restaurant after the race and then went home, had a bottle of wine and chilled out on the sofa. But it was still uncomfortable and so my husband took me to hospital."

Once at Ipswich Hospital, Emma had her ankle x-rayed.

Emma said: "I was thinking, "Why are they x-raying it for?" I thought I had pulled my Achilles tendon or something and I couldn't believe it when I found out it was broken.

"They said I must have a really high pain threshold."

Emma left the hospital in plaster, which must be kept on for six weeks.

For someone who has never broken a bone, walking around on crutches has come as quite a culture shock.

"I am beginning to get used to it though," she said.

Emma, who spent two or three nights a week over a three-month period training for the race, has not been deterred by her setback.

"I would run again, although I'm not sure the surgeon is happy about it, she said. "But if there is no reason not to run, I will do it."

Along with her friend Rachel, she is hoping to raise money for the Reece Lewis ward of Essex County Hospital, where Rachel is a nurse.