RUNNERS battled through blisters and downpours to raise thousands of pounds for west Wiltshire good causes at the London Marathon on Sunday.

Cash was raised for a wide variety of charities and projects including Cancer Research, a charity to help parents who have suffered a cot death in the family and to help pay for a village hall in Upton Scudamore.

In total west Wiltshire runners raised almost £5,000 by completing the 26-mile race.

Pensioner John Stickley, of Trowbridge, finished his first ever London Marathon aged 66 and raised over £600 for Cancer Research.

He said: "I ached a little bit on Sunday, I didn't really expect it to be that hard. I realise I should have done more training but you watch it on television and think it is really easy.

"This was my first marathon and I chose Cancer Research because my wife was diagnosed with cancer last year."

Mike Wingfield, of Upton Scudamore, was running for FSID, a cot death charity, in a tribute to his son Christopher, who died aged 12 weeks.

He said: "It was very difficult as I was suffering from a head cold and the wet weather meant I got terrible blisters.

"I think I raised around £1,600 and there are still some donations coming in.

"Everybody was running soaked to the skin, there wasn't enough time to dry off between the downpours.

"I work as a volunteer on the bereavement helpline for FSID and I know only too well how vital the money is."

Diane Hier, also of Upton Scudamore, has raised over £2,000 to help build a new village hall.

She said: "The rain was just something you had to put up with and run through it.

"It has been quite remarkable to raise so much we have only been fundraising for about two or three weeks."

Runner Chris Atkinson of North Bradley raised over £700 for Trowbridge Lions in memory of his father, a long-serving member of the club.

He said: "I have run half-marathons before but never gone the full distance.

"I chose the Lions because the money all goes locally and you can see the results of what you have done."

Kingdown maths teacher Tony Walker, 42, raised over £1,200 for PHAB on his marathon run, while David Wynne-Davis, 55, of Sutton Benger, ran for Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Army Benevolent Fund, raising £3,000 in his first attempt.