Runners go the distance among marathon masses

Runners from the area were among the 35,000 who completed the 26-mile London Marathon on Sunday.

Mrs Sarah-Jane Mayall (32) of Vernon Avenue, Newark, told how she and her sister, Miss Lucy Price (19) of Hawton Road, were blessed with holy water during the race.

The sisters finished in 5hrs 28mins.

Mrs Mayall said they cried as they crossed the line.

“It was a fantastic experience. The runners support each other and the crowd are amazing,” she said.

“We were blessed as we went around by no less than two priests with holy water — that doesn’t happen every day.

“I have a knee injury too and just wanted to get around.

“There was never an issue with not finishing but when it got tough I just looked at Alfie’s picture on my top and kept going.”

They were inspired to run by their nephew, Alfie Walmsley (10) of Queen Street, Balderton, who is recovering from a brain tumour.

They hope to have raised £5,000 through donations from family and friends for Clic Sargent, the children’s charity that has helped Alfie.

Alfie’s mother, Miss Katrina Price (37) said: “All of the family are just so proud of them. It means we as a family have now raised £15,000 for Clic Sargent. We are thrilled.”

Alfie watched the marathon at home with his twin sister, Daisy.

Mother and son Mrs Elaine Moody (55) of Grove Street, Balderton, and Mr Mark Moody (35) of Palmer Road, Sutton-on-Trent, crossed the finishing line within a second of each other.

Mrs Moody finished in 6hrs 35secs, just before Mr Moody, who paused to take a picture on his mobile phone of his mother crossing the line.

They are on course to raise £2,000 each for the Alzheimer’s Society and the Alzheimer’s Research Trust.

Mrs Moody, who was running her second marathon, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in November 2006.

The money raised for the Alzheimer’s Society will be used in the Newark area.

Mrs Moody and her husband, Mr Mick Moody, are planning further fundraising events over the coming month, including a 1970s-themed disco, a race night and a clay pigeon shoot.

Mr Moody said many people they knew had been inspired by his wife’s example to apply to run next year’s marathon, including their other son, Mr Peter Moody (33).

Regulars at the Worlds End pub, Lowdham, were served bacon sandwiches as they watched television coverage of the marathon.

Barmaid Miss Alexis Goater (24) was taking part on stilts.

She was joined by her father, Mr Douglas Goater (58) who has cancer and who walked alongside her. They finished in 9hrs 38mins.

Miss Goater said: “We did really well. I’m so proud. I only got ten miles on my stilts because I stepped on something on the pavement, which snapped the footplate. I felt it was safer to get off rather than carry on any further.”

She had to carry the stilts a further two miles until she could meet someone to hand them over and the pair walked the rest of the way.

Miss Goater has been stilt walking for about ten years after taking it up in Guernsey, where she is originally from and where her father still lives.

She believed she was the only stilt walker to take part in Sunday’s marathon.

In total, the pair raised £9,000, for The Lord’s Taverners charity and The Prostate Cancer Charity.