TWO teachers from Neston High School completed the London Marathon yesterday (April 23).

Paul Reilly and Clara Maddox both finished the 26.2-mile course, raising money for charity.

Tens of thousands of people braved the pouring rain to complete what was likely to have been the largest London Marathon in history.

Some 49,675 runners registered for this year’s race, up from the previous record of 43,199 in 2019 – and around 48,000 were expected to have crossed the finish line on Sunday.

The race saw dozens more records smashed – including a new top time for the London race achieved by Kelvin Kiptum, who completed the men’s elite heat in 2:01:25.

Paul, who is Head of Business and Computing at Neston High, ran to raise money for The British Heart Foundation and beat his previous time, finishing in three hours and 48 minutes.

He said: "I run for a local club, Pensby Runners, and last did the London Marathon 23 years ago. I wanted to see if I could get fit enough to complete it again and see if I could improve my time.  

"I ran for the British Heart Foundation to raise money for a cause that aims to reduce heart-related illnesses and fatalities. It was a fantastic experience, the crowd support was amazing and I was hugely grateful to see the finishing line."

While Paul ran to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, Clara, who is a teacher in English, ran for Claire House.

She said: "In terms of motivation, I have always wanted to run a marathon and was lucky enough to get a place in the ballot. I really enjoyed the training and having a goal to look forward to.

"I was running for Claire House, which is a local Children's hospice. They have helped and supported so many families including my own, so it felt very special being able to run for them.

"I loved running the marathon it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I can't wait for the next one."