THREE running partners from Little Easton are making their final preparations for the longest run of the year this weekend.

Lisa Smith, Sue Monk and Sharon Williamson have been running together every Sunday for the past five years but this Sunday will be the first time they have all competed in the Virgin London Marathon.

While Mrs Smith ran in the race last year, Mrs Monk and Mrs Williamson will be tackling it for the first time having missed out on the ballot for the past nine and four years respectively.

“Although we won’t be running together, because our trainer Sarah McLagan has advised us not to, all three of us running the same London Marathon has always been the aim,” said Mrs Monk.

The trio have been busy raising money for Medics, a charity that provides doctors on the scene of major accidents.

They set a target of �2,000 and are expecting to have reached their goal by the time they set off.

Mrs Monk added: “Medics does great work and relies on donations because they do not get any other funding.

“All the money will go towards medicines and resources to help the volunteer doctors when they are called to accidents.”

As well as Medics, Mrs Smith has also raised money for the Alan Morement Memorial Fund, named after Alan Morement who died in 2000. AMMF is the only registered charity in the UK working to raise funds for research into cholangiocarcinoma, a liver cancer occurring within the bile ducts.

“I am friends with Helen Morement (Alan’s widow) so I will be running with an AMMF t-shirt on.

“For AMMF it is all about exposure and awareness for the charity so it will hopefully make a massive difference when I wear the logo.”

All three also thanked Mrs McLagan who has given the ladies massages and tips for tackling the race.

“We would not have got to the starting line if it wasn’t for Sarah. She has been brilliant in getting us ready for the race,” said Mrs Smith.