THE Swindon Festival of Literature took a physical turn on the first day as Nell McAndrew came to town for a 5km run in Lydiard Park.

The 41-year-old came to the festival off the back of her book, Nell McAndrew’s Guide to Running, spawned by her success with the sport in recent years.

Best known for hitting fame as the Lara Croft model in the Tomb Raider video game series, Nell ran 2hrs 54min for the 2012 London Marathon, in what qualified as an elite performance. Such times have made the mother-of-two something of a role model for runners and Swindon runners had the chance to quiz her at Lydiard Park.

Following a 5km run together around the park, those happy to pay the £5 entrance fee were able to listen to Nell's talk and quiz her.

Questions centred around Nell’s time management, fitting training around her family life, how she intends to improve when she gets to 50 and the secret of her sub-three-hour marathon. The session finished with a book signing.