This inspiring image of Dawn Nisbet finishing her local parkrun LAST has become a viral hit encouraging a host of others to get running.

The sweaty and make-up free image of a jubilant Dawn taken by photographer Val Lovatt has already gained more than 10,000 likes across social media.

Mum-of-two Dawn has since received scores of messages from others saying she has spurred them to get out there and exercise.

She said: “I’m 41, overweight and quite shy so to feel that I have inspired one person is just amazing. The messages I have received are wonderful and bring me to tears some of them.

“But in my own little way I have helped other people.”

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Dawn first decided to get into running to take part in a charity event after a family member was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

She started walking and slowly built up to jogging and running after months of perseverance. She then plucked up the courage to take on her first parkrun in August last year.

Speaking about the viral photograph, taken at her sixth park run in October 2016, she said: “I was a little embarrassed at first.

"Someone said I was the face of parkrun but for someone who is always the slowest and finds it the hardest it felt wrong but I guess it’s because the photograph touched people’s hearts. The pictures shows a million words in one picture.”

Dawn said she moved up to Oldham from Cornwall after meeting her husband and had two children - but said she lost herself along the way.

Now she says running has given her something to be proud of and a huge sense of achievement.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

She now completes the Oldham parkrun route in 46 minutes 39 seconds - a personal best she notched up on Saturday.

As well as the picture being the cover picture on the parkrun Facebook page, she made it her own profile picture.

She said: “I did that to inspire myself and if there are days where I doubt myself I look at that picture and realise I have already done it.”

As well as her weekly parkruns she is planning to cover 500kms throughout 2017.

She added: “I absolutely love getting out there at parkrun now and have made some amazing friends. Everyone is so supportive and really encouraging. It’s changed my life. I feel I have found myself again.”

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Visit www.parkrun.org.uk/ to find your nearest parkrun. Val Lovatt’s website is www.femmesports.com .