A WITNEY woman will literally follow in the footsteps of four family members when she runs Sunday's London Marathon.

Hannah Pratley, 36, is taking on the 26-mile challenge in aid of Oxfordshire charity Injury Minimization Programme for Schools (IMPS).

She continues a family tradition started by her grandad, who ran the very first London Marathon in 1981, and since followed by her mum in 2001 and sisters Jessica and Eleanor in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

IMPS offers free educational visits to hospitals to all Oxfordshire year 6s and Ms Pratley feels the charity serves a hugely important purpose.

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She said: "All children in Oxfordshire will benefit. The charity will give them life skills to save lives and learn how to stay safe."

Meanwhile, Claire Broome, from Ducklington, is taking part in a series of events to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of her dad, John Barr.

Mr Barr, a keen runner who completed 11 London Marathons himself, died last March, after he was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma, a rare and incurable form of eye cancer, in 2013.

Ms Broome said: “I started running to help with grief and I haven’t stopped. I'm honoured to be running for Macmillan and I will be thinking of dad."

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Among other runners pounding the streets will be RAF Brize Norton aircraft engineer, Darren Mitchell, who is running for welfare charity the RAF Benevolent Fund. The 40-year-old served in Afghanistan, where he helped repatriate fallen servicemen and women.

He said: “I have witnessed first-hand the effects that conflict can have on people, and how spilt-second occurrences have life changing consequences.

"Supporting the RAF Benevolent Fund is my way of continuing that same support to some of the people that I was honoured to bring home."

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Witney Blanket Hall manager, Eleanor Martin, is running her second London Marathon after previously completing the race in 2016.

She has raised more than £1,000 for The Brooke Animal Charity, while Matt Burke, whose partner Julie was diagnosed with Sarcoma nearly five years ago, has raised a similar amount for Sarcoma UK.

Former Oxford United striker Steve Basham takes on the 26-mile challenge in aid of Charlbury-based charity SpecialEffect.