A VALE Royal runner was left battered, bruised and disappointed after being trampled on by a horse at last Sunday’s Wilmslow Half Marathon.

Jenny Watt, who lived in Rudheath before moving to Leeds, was on track to achieve her personal best when she was knocked to the ground by a loose horse after five miles of the race.

After leaving the course for five minutes while she recovered from the shock, the 24-year-old went on to complete the race – but the extent of her injuries only became clear the next day.

She told the Guardian: “I was absolutely livid.

“This woman was told not to ride her horses on the race course, but she did it anyway. She lost control and the horses bolted, and one of them trampled me.

“I was completely in shock and couldn’t really breathe for five minutes, but I didn’t feel too much pain at the time because of the adrenaline.”

The incident left Jenny with a great deal of pain, including bruising to her face.

Now, she wants her money back for the entry to the event.

“I paid £39 to go for my personal best and instead I was trampled on by a horse,” she added.

“I think the marshals could have been more helpful - once I decided to carry on they just presumed I was OK.

“I’ve been offered free entry to next year’s race but I don’t want to do it again.”

Sunday’s incident is the second case of horses running on the course in three years.

Nick Bishop, organiser of the Wilmslow Half Marathon, said: “Obviously horses are not allowed on the course. It’s very unfortunate that some people despite this are going against the grain of the race.

“We’ve had some accounts of what happened, and these have been passed on to our insurers.

“We work with marshals, outside companies and the police to help prevent this situation.”