Runners from West Dorset battled with the heat at the London Marathon on Sunday.
The 26.2 mile challenge, saw a number of runners from the county put on their running shoes to raise money for charity.
The Queen started the event in the morning by pressing the traditional red button.
The sun was shining above the capital as temperatures soared to 23 degrees Celsius for what was the hottest London Marathon on record.
This wasn't the only record broken, as Sir Mo Farah, who came third in the elite men's race, smashed the British record time, unofficially recorded as two hours, six minutes and 21 seconds.
- Keith Butcher
Keith Butcher from Bridport ran the marathon in aid of Arthritis Research after his mum suffered from the illness.
He managed to raise £2,329 for the charity and completed the marathon in a time of six hours, 44 minutes.
He said: “I survived. It was so hot. I have never done a marathon before, it was tough. The crowds were incredible.“Knowing the people around you are running for their own personal reasons was quite inspiring. I wanted to show my children that if you put your mind to something you can achieve anything.
“One of the standout parts of the day was travelling home on the train when a man asked if I had just done the marathon for charity and I said yes, he then put his hand in his pocket and gave me money to donate to my fundraiser.
“I think it shows the spirit of London.”
- Caroline Reeves
Caroline Reeves, who lives near Bridport, said she wasn’t ready for the hot conditions but was glad to have finished the run.
She completed the run in 5 hours 43 minutes.
She said: “It was extremely hot and very hard work. I was slower than I wanted to be because of the conditions and it was my first marathon.
Discussing the heat, She said: “I had no experience of how to manage it, having practiced running in snow after the weather we have been having.“I am glad I have done it. I raised around £5,000 so I’m happy.
“London for Dorset folk can be quite scary. The crowd was amazing.
“I was beat by a person dressed as a panda, but I managed to beat someone dressed as one of The Wombles which is the important thing.”
Caroline took part in the marathon to raise money for CLIC Sargent, which helps support young people with cancer and their families.
- Sarah and Clive Samways
Sarah Samways, who owns Samways Fish Merchants in Bridport, completed the race with her husband Clive.
She said: “We made it out in one piece and got through it alive.
“It was so hot out there I haven’t known anything like it.
“They say it was the hottest marathon on record.”
She added that people were dropping to the side of the track from the start of the race as they battled with the humidity.
Sarah completed the race in four hours and two minutes, while Clive finished in four hours 53 minutes.
The couple managed to raise more than £1,000 for Meningitis Now, which raises awareness for the illness while offering support.
- Charlotte Herbert
Charlotte Herbert, who is from Bridport, smashed her target at this year’s marathon. She finished the run in seven hours, seven minutes and raised money for Dementia UK.
Charlotte said: “I had a very eventful marathon but I finished and that is all that counts. I managed to exceed my original target of £2,500 and I currently stand near £2,800!”
- Clare Pimbley
Clare Pimbley from Bridport, ran the marathon in aid of Wessex Cancer Trust, and managed to raise £2,115 for the charity.
She completed the run in six hours one minute and said: “The crowd was so encouraging when it was really hot. There were parts which felt harder than others and their encouragement was phenomenal like a wall of sound.”
Wessex Cancer Trust helps and supports anyone affected by cancer.
It is also committed to offering free support away from a hospital environment.
- Maddy Anholt
Actress and comedian Maddy Anholt, from Uplyme, ran the marathon in aid of The National Brain Appeal.
Completing the race in six hours and three minutes, Maddy ran in memory of her grandmother, Joan Anholt, who suffered a stroke at the age of 73 when she was 11.
Maddy said: “The marathon was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I pretty much lost the will to live at mile 18 but luckily regained it at mile 22. I stopped at St John Ambulance tents twice for agonising blisters and the sun did not stop beating down. The only thing that kept me running was the incredible crowds. My favourite was the guy with a boom box and megaphone making up poems about each runner as they went past. Very funny.”
- Tom Elliot
Master cheese grader Tom Elliot, of Ford Farm Cheesemakers in Litton Cheney, trained for the marathon by weightlifting cheddar.
It paid off, as Tom successfully completed the race in three hours and 42 minutes.
Tom ran the marathon to raise funds for children’s charity Phab Kids, which enabled children and adults with a range of disabilities to enjoy fun and challenging activities at accessible outdoor centres.
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