SUNDAY'S London Marathon will be a day to remember for at least four local people.

Settle's Alan Cardus, of Mill Close, is running the 26 mile world famous event to raise money for Candlelighters, the children's cancer charity, and breast cancer research.

Alan, who is a tar plant mixer at Tarmac at Helwith Bridge, hopes to complete the run in five hours.

"I have wanted to do it for a few years. I applied last year and didn't get in, but I got in this year. I am doing it for charity. It's the challenge of it that appeals to me. I'm determined to do it," Alan, a father and a grandfather, told the Herald.

The last major sporting challenge Alan fulfilled was a bike ride from Skipton to Settle 17 years ago, which also raised money for Candlelighters.

He is running for breast cancer too in support of family friend Anne Jackson, who Alan and wife, Marie, have helped out over the years with her cancer fund-raising concerts.

Sally Heseltine, formerly of Malham, now of Cowper Street, Skipton, is running the 26 miles to raise funds to help a friend go on a Raleigh International expedition to Africa.

Her Leeds-based pal Vicki Hunter is an amputee who mistakenly had a leg taken off from the knee after being misdiagnosed with cancer and Sally is on the road to raising up to £1,500 to help her get to Africa.

Sally has joined the Skipton Athletics Club since training for the marathon and ran to Malham and back last week.

Skipton Building Society development manager Paul Darwin is running the marathon in aid of three charities - Great Ormond Street Hospital, Action Research and Dreams Come True, a charity which tries to grant the wishes of children with a terminal illness.

John Reid, of Ingleton, is also running the marathon, to raise money for Ingleton Badminton Club and the Institute for Deaf People.

Kath Blades, of Hellifield, is lining up for the second time in the London Marathon.

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