Top distance runner Jo Pavey has been revealed as the official starter for next year’s Brighton Marathon.

The athlete hit the heights this summer when she win her first major title, scorching to 10,000m gold at the European Championships in Zurich.

That win came only ten days after she claimed a Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow over 5,000m.

Both her medals came at the age of 40, when most athletes have long hung up their spikes. Her win in Zurich made her the oldest female European champion in history and came only ten months after giving birth to her second child.

Her appearance in Brighton and Hove to send the thousands of runners on their way on April 12 is expected to draw even more crowds to the popular event.

The race, now in its sixth year, regularly raises millions for charity and also provides a major economic boost for the city thanks to the high numbers of visitors during the marathon weekend.

Marathon founder Tim Hutchings said: “Jo is not only a fantastic athlete but an inspiration to us all because she manages to combine a normal family life with all the demands an athlete faces.

“Having tried everything over the years to win that elusive gold medal, she now recognises that the secret ingredient to her most successful year ever is a happy family life that has given her the emotional strength and stability to help her achieve the highest honours.”

Jo is also on the shortlist for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has already scooped the British Athletics Writers’ Female Athlete of the year accolade.

Apart from fulfilling her duties as starter for the Brighton Marathon and the 10km race on April 12, Jo will also be sending more than 3,000 young Mini Milers on their way the day before.

She will also attend the two-day Brighton Marathon Exhibition, which features the sport’s favourite brands, a choice of competitions and the chance for an early bird entry to the 2016 event.