The 30-year-old, who lives in Barrowford, came third in a European selection race in Sedburgh, North Yorkshire, where she competed against England's best.

After finishing third in the five-mile race, climbing 1,800 feet, she faced an anxious wait, as only the top two automatically qualify for the four-strong team.

But she made the cut, and will now race against Europe's best in Germany on July 12th.

"I was mad at myself at first, as I was only 15 seconds off second place," said the Clayton-le-Moors Harrier.

"But I was over the moon when they rang me. It is a dream come true for me to run for Great Britan, and it is what I have been training for for the last 18 months.

"I never honestly thought I would do it, but I started training twice a day and decided to give it a go.

"It is fantastic. I can't wait for Germany now."

Candice, a mother-of-one, had been battling a hip injury all winter, which made qualifying all the sweeter.

"The selection was also based on current form, so I was worried when I came third as I hadn't raced much, so when I got the phone call it meant a lot.

"I would like to thank my coaches at Clayton Harriers, especially John Roche, for their encouragement."

After the European Championships, Candice will go through it all again.

She will have another qualifying race in August, where she hopes to earn the chance to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Switzerland in September.