JERSEY’S own singing sensation swapped the microphone for her running shoes last week to take part in London’s first half marathon, Run to the Beat.

The singer and songwriter Nerina Pallot (34) decided to take part in the event on Sunday 5 October, after watching the full marathon earlier in the year. ‘In April my best friend’s husband ran the London marathon and we went and stood in the rain to watch,’ she said. ‘I had never watched a marathon before and found it so amazing and inspiring.

‘That night we all cooked him dinner and got very drunk. After about ten bottles of Merlot my neighbour said, “Why don’t you do one?” I said that it would be too much for me, but agreed to do London’s first half marathon.
‘Initially I entered with my neighbour but then they had to pull out, leaving me to train on my own. I wouldn’t have had the motivation to do 13 miles on my own, so I decided to commit to fundraising for the NSPCC so that I couldn’t bail out. I have done stuff with them in the past and think that they are a very worthwhile charity.’

In total, Nerina managed to raise £2,000 for the NSPCC. But before taking part in the half marathon she had to endure a tough 12-week training programme. ‘I started my training at the beginning of July,’ she said. ‘To begin with, for the first few weeks it wasn’t too bad as I was fairly fit anyway. But then it gradually got tougher. The hardest part has been not drinking or smoking. I gave up alcohol at the beginning of August but I had a lapse.’
‘Rubbish weather’

But all of the hard work paid off, as Nerina completed Run to the Beat in two hours and 30 seconds exactly.
‘It was rubbish weather and my husband [fellow Jerseyman and record producer Andy Chatterley] was stuck out in the rain watching me, the poor soul. I promised him that I would do it in two hours so he wouldn’t have to wait too long. It was amazing; it’s the only time in my life that I’ve ever actually been on time.’

So was this simply a one off or has Nerina now got the bug for running? ‘I have decided that I am now going to do the full marathon next year, it is the natural progression,’ she said. ‘I am not going to stop training. I am at 30 miles a week now, running five to six days a week, so I am going to keep doing that.’

Despite her achievement, Nerina said that after completing the half marathon she was too tired to enjoy any big celebrations. ‘I got all excited but then didn’t really feel like doing anything,’ she said. ‘I only managed a small glass of wine.’

Aside from training, Nerina has also been busy in recent months recording her new album. ‘I have nearly chosen the final tracks now. In terms of writing the album is now 99 per cent finished and 50 per cent done in terms of production,’ she said. ‘It should be finished by the end of December and I will release it by spring. ‘I just want it to be as good as I can make it. I’m getting excited now. I wanted to push myself a bit with this album. It will be a move onwards which is really important.’