Two friends from Little Easton, Lisa Smith and Sharon Williamson, ran the London Marathon together.

They made the finish in four hours, 39 minutes and 27 seconds raising £3,200 for Farleigh Hospice.

Both have run marathons before but previously finished despite injuries. This time, Lisa said: “We stayed on our feet. The first half was wonderful and the second half was horrendous. We both said as we crossed the finishing line that we would never, ever do this again. But who knows, perhaps we will one day.”

Sharon, a learning support assistant at Great Easton Primary School, said: “You can never say never.”

The two, both mothers of teenage children, said because there were so many others running for the same cause, there were cheers all along the way for them. It also turned out to be a family affair because Sharon’s brother John Hay was running for the Isabel Hospice in Hertfordshire.

Lisa, who has a web design business, said: “Up to the first 18 miles we got support from our families, which was great because it was really, really hard. When it got to 22 miles it was really a case of mind over matter. In the end, we just couldn’t believe that we had run all that way because it was so hard but we were chuffed to bits.”

Along the way, Lisa and Sharon saw someone running with a washing machine on his back, they saw “Jesus Christ” running with his arms spread out on his crucifix and a couple running as Adam and Eve who Lisa said were two middle-aged people covered by barely more than a fig leaf. Lisa and Sharon are now planning to run the Lea Valley Race for Life in September. For these two, it’s a case of keep on running.

To help Lisa and Sharon raise money for Farleigh Hospice, go to www.justgiving.com/Sharon-lisa.