It is 6.30am on Sunday morning and three Sidmouth Running Club Ladies, Claire Ashby, Becky Robson and Abbi Lee sat down in a London hotel to eat their porridge with half a dozen red Indians in full war paint, it could mean only one thing - London Marathon day had finally arrived, writes Terry Bewes.

It is 6.30am on Sunday morning and three Sidmouth Running Club Ladies, Claire Ashby, Becky Robson and Abbi Lee sat down in a London hotel to eat their porridge with half a dozen red Indians in full war paint, it could mean only one thing - London Marathon day had finally arrived, writes Terry Bewes.

All the sacrifices made over the last few months, all the early mornings no matter what the weather, all the hours spent and the hundreds of miles run in training had led them here.

Despite predictions of snow the weather was dry as they waited excitedly at the start and watched Tim Peake’s countdown on the big screens.

How incredible that someone hundreds of kilometres up in space was part of this great running event!

There was so much emotion! And it was a humbling experience to realise that it is finally happening and they were actually about to run the London Marathon.

The experience was everything they had hoped for; unbelievably loud cheering from the crowds, horns ,drums, bagpipes, and music of every kind to carry them along. It also became apparent that people are motivated to run a marathon for many reasons, as a personal goal but also to raise money for causes close to their hearts.

This race is one of the most important annual fundraising events for many charities with millions raised each year by the runners who often support them for very personal and poignant reasons.

As the distance takes its toll and the miles tick by the excitement of actually finishing dawns! It is an exhilarating experience to finally turn the last bend at Buckingham Palace and see the finish line just 200m ahead.

They did it and they did it in some style. Claire had set her mind and trained for a time of 3:40:00 her split time at halfway was 1:48:57 or 8.32 minute miles and she completed the race in 3:42:52 pace 8:49 m/m a fantastic run perfectly paced.

Becky was thoroughly pleased with her time of 4:05:57 as a hamstring problem at London Bridge nearly brought her race to an end but as this was her seventh London Marathon that was not going to stop her. Abbi, running this race for the first time, finished in a respectable time of 4:26 :23 and no doubt will return in the years to come to better this.

In other Sidmouth Running Club news, the chairmans’ challenge has taken off with Danny Painter entering with a photo from Gibraltar where he was putting in some serious hill training ready for this week’s Salcombe Coastal marathon only to be outdone by David Wright from Hanoi with a photo of him not only wearing the ‘Mighty Green’, but with a green dragon as well.

If you were inspired to take up running by the London Marathon and you would like more information of how to do so contact the Club via their web site.