Background
Hunter was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England and was a member of Blaydon Harriers Athletics Club and later Valli Harriers.
Hunter was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England and was a member of Blaydon Harriers Athletics Club and later Valli Harriers.
In August, she finished second behind Yvonne Murray at the AAAs National Championships in the 3000 metres in 8:51.51, earning Olympic selection. In 1989, Hunter finished in the top ten at both the World Cross Country Championships in Stavanger and the 15km World Road Race Championships in San Diego, placing seventh and sixth respectively.
In 1991, she broke the World Best for 10 miles, with 51:41 in New New York She first came to prominence as a cross-country runner, finishing second to Angela Tooby at the 1988 United Kingdom world cross country trial, ahead of Zola Budd. At the 1988 World Cross Country Championships in Auckland she made the top ten, finishing ninth.
Two weeks later, she ran her best ever 3000 metres at the Zurich Grand Prix, running 8:47.36.
At the Seoul Olympics in September, she was eliminated in her heat, running 8:57.28
Later that year, she finished eighth in the 10,000 metres final at the European Championships in Split. Hunter had perhaps the best year of her career in 1991.
In April, she broke Cathy O"Brien"s 10 mile World Best on the roads, with 51:41 in New New York In June, at the European Cup in Frankfurt, she ran her lifetime best 10,000 m with 31:07.88, to finish second behind Kathrin Ullrich who ran 31:03.62.
This performance moved her to fifth on the world all-time list at the time.
In July she ran 48:19 for 15 km on the roads, which at the time, ranked her sixth on the world all-time list. As the world"s number three (after McColgan and Ullrich) she was a serious medal contender in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Tokyo, however she struggled in the humid conditions and finished ninth in the final in 32:24.55
In the summer, she ran her career best 5000 metres with 15:09.98 in Hechtel. Then in August, at the Barcelona Olympics, she finished 10th in the 10,000 metres final in 31:46.49.
As of 2015, Hunter ranks fifth on the United Kingdom all-time list for 10,000 m (31:07 in 1991), 10 km road (3142 in 1989) and 15 km road (48:19 in 1991), while her 10-mile road best (51:41 in 1991) still ranks second on the United Kingdom all-time list, with Paula Radcliffe being the only British woman to have gone faster.