Runners from across Oxfordshire are gearing up for one of the most challenging and rewarding sporting events on earth - the Flora London Marathon, which takes place on Sunday.

Completing the gruelling 26.2-mile course, which winds its way through the historic streets of the capital, means something different to each of its tens of thousands of participants. Here, in the first of a three-part series, we feature some of those taking part...

Simon Emms-Clements from Kidlington has seen four members of his family battle cancer.

Mr Emms-Clements, 35, a telesales consultant from Kidlington, is an ex-Royal Artillery serviceman who is running for Macmillan Cancer Support.

He said: "I'm running for Macmillan because my wife and I have had four members of our family diagnosed with cancer, including my mother.

"It's an evil disease and the sooner they find a cure the better - it's affected my family a great deal over the last couple of years."

Bicester firefighter John Nelson is aiming to run the marathon - his third - in under four hours.

The 50-year-old, who has been a firefighter for the Military Of Defence at Arncott since 1977, is aiming to raise about £2,500 for Children With Leukaemia.

He said: "I love running and doing it for a children's charity appealed to me.

"I ran for them last year and I aim to raise as much, if not more, this year."

Mark Limbert, 42, who has suffered from a stammer since he was a young child, is running the marathon to raise money - and awareness - for the British Stammering Association.

Mr Limbert, a technical director at a fibre optics company in Launton, near Bicester, has lived with a stammer every since he can remember.

He said: "I've spent a lot of my own money paying for elocution lessons and speech therapy because the treatment available to me from the NHS when I was growing up was inappropriate. It has helped but I'm not cured."

Father-and-son David and Adam Beasley, 67 and 34 respectively, are running for the Family Holiday Association, which organises holidays for families in need.

Claire Patel of Abingdon is running for children's charity WellChild after her son Lewis, two, suffered from eczema. She said: "It has always been an ambition of mine to run the marathon and I was supposed to do it last year."

Student Max Sydney-Smith is tackling this year's London Marathon as part of the Mr Men and Little Miss team to raise funds for UK charity Children with Leukaemia.

Max, 20, who studies at Durham University, chose to run for the cancer charity because his older sister Emma contracted acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just two years old.

Emma, 24, successfully underwent radiotherapy treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Max, who lives in William Lucy Way, Oxford, said: "My inspiration to run a marathon was the film Run Fatboy Run."

Trudy Wilkes, of Longworth, will be running the distance in aid of The Royal British Legion.

Trudy, the Oxford Mail's regional digital media manager, said: "My friends all think I'm mad for doing this, but have been really supportive."

Sue Baldwin, 44, a property investor from Longworth, will join Mr Nelson in running for Children with Leukaemia in her first marathon.

Prof Paul Bolam, who conducts research into Parkinson's Disease at Oxford University, is tackling the course alongside daughters Olivia, 25, and Becca, 29.

The family, from Garsington, will be raising money for charities including the Parkinson's Disease Society, Amnesty International and Health Unlimited, a charity providing healthcare for poor communities across the world.

Prof Bolam, 54, who has lived in Oxford for 29 years, said: "I have run quite a few marathons before, but this one is going to be extra special.

"Not only will I be raising money for charity, I will have my two lovely daughters alongside me. I can't wait to run down the final straight with them - I'll be the proudest dad alive."

Meanwhile, Faringdon lifeguard Becky Allen is hoping to raise £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

Send us your marathon pictures:

IF YOU are running on Sunday, then we want to tell the world how well you have done.

Just send in pictures and video clips as soon as you can and we will post them on oxfordmail.co.uk There are several ways you can do this: 1. Mobile phone (quickest and easiest): Start your message with Oxford Mail, telling us who you are and where you are from, and providing a brief description of your picture or video clip. Then attach your picture or video clip and send it to 80360.

You will receive a confirmation message that we have received your contribution. Each picture or video message is free to send but will cost your normal operator charge. Services provided by Newsquest Media Group.

2. Email: If you want to send pictures and videos by email, then use the following email address: yourpix@nqo.com Simply download your images/video from your camera or mobile phone and send them as attachments. Please add a brief description of what's happening in your photos/videos. With all email messages, make sure you include your name and address as we always like to credit people who send anything into us which we use.

3. Upload your pictures and video directly from your PC Log on to oxfordmail.co.uk/pictures/sendusyourpics/ and you can upload directly using our simple form.

Good luck - we look forward to sharing your success with our readers.