Five London Marathon runners have been rewarded with more than just medals for completing the 26-mile route they have collected more than £14,000 for the Chox appeal.

Sarah Meyrick, 41, who works on the Children's Hospital Campaign website, trained for the event with her brother Andrew, 45, and between them they raised £6,000.

Another three participants, Pauline Bagnall, project manager for all the building work at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, Chris Wright, 55, of Lower Shiplake, near Henley, and production controller Claire Bakker, 53, all raised more than £2,000 each.

Miss Meyrick, who finished the course in four hours and 33 minutes, said: "Weirdly enough, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be I was rather dreading it.

"The real thing that carries you through is the atmosphere with the crowds and all the bands on the way round.

"I'm not a runner at all, and until I started training in December last year I had only run two miles or so, and I'm completely un- athletic."

Despite her novice status, Miss Meyrick beat her brother, a financial director for a language school, by six minutes, after he stopped for a walking break at 21 miles.

Mother-of-two Mrs Bagnall completed the marathon, on Sunday, April 23, in five hours 55 minutes, Mr Wright finished in five hours and 50 minutes, and Miss Bakker who had competed before ended in four hours 27 minutes.

Their efforts will help with the final fundraising leg of the £15m Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign, which only needs another £3.4m to hit its target.