SHE will be among the youngest taking part in Race for Life tomorrow - but two-year-old Madalyn Wardle is looking forward to the challenge.

The toddler will line up with 10,000 women on Southampton Common for the 5km charity event in aid of Cancer Research UK.

This year will be Madalyn's second Race for Life. She took part last year with her aunt Helen Wardle when she was a year old and had just started walking the day before.

This year Madalyn is racing for her great-granddad, who has bowel cancer and who has recently had a life-saving operation.

Like last year, Helen has painted Madalyn a special T-shirt to wear on the day as the official Race for Life T-shirts are too big for her.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Craig McLachlan will get the proceedings under way and super nurse Anne Croudas will wear the no 1 shirt.

Anne has been chosen by the Daily Echo to front its Do it for Anne campaign to raise awareness of how the money raised in Southampton is spent.

Sadly, every year nearly half the women who take part in Race for Life fail to return any sponsorship money so the paper is putting its efforts into encouraging women to ensure they make a donation.

Woman and Lifestyle Editor Kate Thompson said: "Anne and the group of super nurses she leads are doing a wonderful job linking between the life-saving research and cancer patients.

"It costs £800,000 a year to fund Anne and her team - the amount that organisers hope will be raised in Southampton. Let's make sure that everyone who takes part this year sends in a donation so Anne and her team can continue their crucial work."

Don't miss the special Race for Life pull-out in the Daily Echo on Monday featuring the names of all women taking part and photos capturing the emotion of the day.