The months of training. The cramps. And the pain.

It all came to a head in a sun-and-rain-drenched sporting extravaganza showcasing Britain - and Dorset - at its very best on Sunday.

Runners from our county overcame injury, late starts and hailstorms to complete the London Marathon challenge.

And they all had very different stories to share about a day of triumph and tears in the capital, as Echo reporter JOANNA DAVIS discovered.

Never any real doubt!

SIMONE Clarke of Weymouth proved a legion of doubters wrong when she crossed the marathon finish line in four hours 47 minutes.

She said: "I had a lot of comments that I wouldn't be able to give up the booze and cigarettes to do the marathon.

"My mum flew over from Cyprus especially to watch me and it was so great to see her at the end cheering me on.

"I'm still on a high from it and I'm trying to take it all in."

Simone, a medical photographer at Poole General Hospital, has raised £500 to contribute to new facilities in her workplace as part of the national Wish List charity.

Joe sets a blistering record

A HUGE blister on his little toe is a London Marathon legacy for Joe Heffell, 47, of Chickerell Road, Weymouth, who completed the course in four hours, 13 minutes and 34 seconds.

Joe ran the marathon in aid of Weymouth's soup kitchen which provides hot drinks and food for the homeless.

He said: "It was one of the best days of my life, and I couldn't believe how well it was organised. The crowds were brilliant and I hope to have raised about £350 for the kitchen."

  • FORMER Weymouth men Simon Parsons and James Parr both finished the race in four and a half hours.

Laces take their place in history

A PENSIONER who took up running at the age of 63 has immortalised his first marathon experience into a work of art.

George Lawson, now 70, has made a polymer artwork entitled 'These trainers ran the London Marathon' featuring his laces shaped around the Thames according to the marathon route.

The work will go on display along with more of George's artwork in St Mary's Church, Weymouth from tomorrow.

George, of Westerhall Road, Weymouth, did the marathon as one of Egdon Heath Harriers' runners.

He said: "I was asthmatic but since I took up running I haven't needed any medication for my asthma.

"I finished in four hours and 59 minutes and when I crossed the line I gave my wife a medal for the support she has provided.

"She's cooked me so many pasta dishes."

George has raised hundreds of pounds through marathon sponsorship for Asthma UK.

He said: "A lot of people think you can't do something like this, but a 101-year-old did the marathon, and so did I.

"And I now have a piece of art to remember my folly in taking part."

Run for my son

MUM Angela Hearn, of Weymouth, dashed across London to reach the marathon start line, only to find herself one of the last to start. But she still recorded a finish time of six hours.

She raised around £1,000 for charity Roadpeace in memory of her three-month-old son Jonathan, who was killed by a drunk driver who crashed into his pram.

She said: "I was very emotional when I was late to the finish line because I thought I wasn't doing Jonathan justice.

"But I got round and I was doing it for him and for other people who will unfortunately find themselves in my position."

Son's smile proves more rewarding than a medal

A SMILE awaiting Swyre gardener Stephen Griffith at the finish line was more rewarding than any medal.

He was greeted by his teenage son Ben, 16, who inspired his dad to run the marathon after suffering a stroke at the age of 14.

The spinal haemorrhage left Ben paralysed from the waist down and marked the beginning of a long, hard battle to regain his independence.

Stephen said: "I was running alongside the Masai warriors at one stage - I thought they were amazing, they were running in shoes made out of tyres and were laughing and chanting tribal tunes. It was hard when the weather kept changing because I kept getting hot and cold and there was very bad driving rain at one stage.

"After the 20 mile mark you just have to grit your teeth and carry on. Ben and my wife Sara were at the finish line. It was very emotional and Ben just smiled and said to me well done dad'."

Stephen crossed the line after three hours and 40 minutes and raised £1500 for his chosen charity the Stroke Society.

Rosemary finally gets to cross the finish line

AFTER waiting five years to get a place in the London Marathon, Rosemary Locock finally crossed the finish line on Sunday in memory of her daughter, Karina Glynn, who died aged 17 in June 2003, following a 20-month battle with cancer.

She said: "We were in London on the day of the 2003 marathon, which also happened to be on April 13, when Karina asked me to run in her memory.

"She died of cancer five years ago and I've been trying to get a place in the ballot in that time."

Rosemary, who lives in Weymouth and works for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service in Dorchester, raised more than £2,000. The cash will be split between the Kingfisher Ward in Dorset County Hospital, the Piam Brown Ward in Southampton General Hospital and the Claire Lemmon Fund Children's Cancer Charity.

Rosemary said: "Karina was there every step of the way with me pushing me along. It was awesome and a wonderful experience."

Beating the pain

SUPER mum Andrea Stroud, of Weymouth, pushed through the pain barrier after seeing her husband and three sons at the 16 mile mark.

She said: "I was ringing my sons as I was going round and kept trying to spot them, but I eventually saw them.

"It was an unbelievable experience and I was glad to get round because I hadn't run for three weeks as I had a bad back."

Andrea, who treated herself to a massage the day after the race, raised around £1,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and finished in four hours and 30 minutes.

Firefighters finish in a blaze of glory

FIREFIGHTERS Clem Stanley and Nick Thirkettle completed the marathon in a personal blaze of glory.

Temporary station manager Clem, who is based at Poundbury, came home in four hours and 59 minutes while his colleague Nick, of Weymouth station, finished in three hours and 50 minutes. They have raised around £2,100 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution as a result of their efforts.

Clem said: "We decided to do it on a bit of a whim while we were doing the Three Peaks Challenge last year. At one stage I was running with the Masai warriors and it was a great experience and a great day. I'd like to thank Domestic Sprinklers of Weymouth for their sponsorship."

Peter keeps on running!

PETER Smith came home well inside his target time of four hours.

Running for the National Osteoporosis Society in support of his mother, who suffers from the condition, Peter stormed across the line in three hours 51 minutes.

He said: "It was good, the crowd were excellent. I got round to the halfway stage and saw my partner there supporting me and it was all going well.

"Then the heavens opened and we got absolutely soaked.

"It was so cold and the last couple of miles were a bit of a struggle but I got round 25 minutes faster than last year."

Peter, from Dorchester, is just £300 short of his £2,000 fundraising targets and is still looking for support.

He is refusing to rest on his laurels though and will be back out training with the Egdon Heath Harriers tonight.

Karen's sister would be so proud

MEMORIES of her late sister helped Karen Willmington complete the London Marathon in five hours and three minutes.

Karen's sister Madina lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Valentine's Day 2007.

Godmanstone resident Karen said: "Everyone seems to have been touched by cancer at some point in their lives so I chose to run for Cancer Research.

"Madina would have been touched if she'd known how many people were supporting her by sponsoring me.

"And I think she would have been proud of me if she had known about it.

"It was an incredible day and the whole way through people were shouting encouragement."

Karen has raised more than £5,000 for Cancer Research.

Caroline toasts success

NEW Look fashion designer Caroline Ryan was surprised with a champagne reception in her London flat after she crossed the finish line.

Caroline, 26, overcame a shooting pain in her knee to cross the line in five hours and 21 minutes.

She was running for Kidney Research UK in memory of her friend Neil who died from kidney disease and in support of her friend's two-year-old son George, who has chronic renal failure.

She said: "I just feel relief that it's over now." Caroline can still be sponsored at www.justgiving.com/carolineryan.