High Peak London Marathon runners break records

High Peak runners did the borough proud on Sunday, breaking records and raising thousands for charity by taking part in the famous London Marathon.
Huddersfield Marathon Band, who broke the world record and became the fastest marching band to complete the marathon. Photo by www.nigelpacquette.co.uk.Huddersfield Marathon Band, who broke the world record and became the fastest marching band to complete the marathon. Photo by www.nigelpacquette.co.uk.
Huddersfield Marathon Band, who broke the world record and became the fastest marching band to complete the marathon. Photo by www.nigelpacquette.co.uk.

The Huddersfield Marathon Band, which features five High Peak musicians, broke the world record and regained their title of fastest marching band to complete the marathon with a time of six hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds.

Band members Tim and Sarah Hewitt, of Buxton, Simon Lewis, of Whaley Bridge, Emma Thurlby, of Tideswell, and Ian Drayton, of Sparrowpit, helped achieve the feat and raise £60,000 for deaf blind charity Sense.

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Angela Oldfield, a housewife from Buxton, raised more than £5,000 for Cafod by completing the event, sponsored by Virgin Money, for the first time.

The 41-year-old, of Temple Road, said: “I was motivated to take part in the London Marathon because I’ve enjoyed running half-marathons in the past.

“The marathon itself was definitely double the pain, but the cheering crowds really spurred me on, especially the CAFOD supporters along the route. I’ve always supported CAFOD, so it felt great to be able to run for them.”

Alasdair Cowell, of Glossop Mountain Rescue Team, and Dave Hadden, of the Kinder team, helped raise almost £2,000 for Mountain Rescue England and Wales by running with four other members from around the country.

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Helen Thornhill, 42, of Glossop, raised £260 for the Winnie Mabaso Foundation, which supports orphans in South Africa, and completed the race in four hours and two minutes, despite fracturing her toe at mile 21.

She said: “I ended up in first aid for ten minutes whilst they strapped it up and hobbled the last five miles as I was determined to finish. I was a bit disappointed as it was well outside my predicted time of three hours 40.”

While Paul Simons, a postman from Middleton, Manchester, broke a Guinness world record by becoming the fastest person to run a marathon dressed as a bottle, thanks to completing the race in three hours, 31 minutes and 57 seconds in his Buxton Water bottle outfit. Paul also raised money for Action for Children, the Buxton firm and event water sponsor’s chosen charity.

Buxton midwife Elizabeth Nocton has raised around £2,000 for the charity Breast Cancer Campaign after completing Sunday’s 26.2 mile course.

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And the 35-year-old, of Elizabeth Avenue, even managed to finish within the time she set herself, crossing the line after four hours, 28 minutes and 39 seconds.

She said: “It was amazing. I loved every minute of it. The support of the crowds was unbelievable, they cheer you on, offer you sweets, orange segments and play music.

“It felt like a victory lap after all my training.”

Elizabeth chose the charity in memory of her fellow midwife, and Chapel-en-le-Frith mum Michelle Whyte, who sadly lost her battle with breast cancer in December 2011. Donations can be made at www.just giving.com/elizabeth-nocton.

Hope’s Lisa Elliott finished in five hours, 14 minutes, and has raised over £2,000 for Ashgate Hospice.

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She said: “It went really well, I completed it and ran all the way. I just had a great time.”

Sponsor her at www.just giving.com/lisa-elliot9.

Suzanne Lim, of Buxton, was part of Team Nestle for the charity Action for Children. She has so far raised over £700 but hopes to make it £1,000 and Suzanne, who works at Nestle’s Buxton Mineral Water factory, can still be sponsored at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SuzanneLim.

Buxton pair Jane Jackson and Julie Riley, who signed up for the marathon after losing 12 stone between them, crossed the line after three hours, 58 minutes and 44 seconds.

The duo were part of the Slimming World team, whose chosen charity was Cancer Research UK.

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