A woman dressed as a bottle of beer, an Oxford United fan and a company executive will be among thousands of runners taking part in the 29th London Marathon.

Oxfordshire’s fun runners, charity fundraisers and people in fancy dress will join the nation’s elite athletes for the gruelling 26.2-mile course on Sunday, April 25.

The route will take runners from Greenwich and Blackheath in south-east London to Buckingham Palace via Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for local and national charities once they cross the finish line.

NHS worker Regina Lally, 30, of Harvest Way, Witney, is running in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, which is supporting her boyfriend’s mother to fight stomach cancer, and the Oxford Oratory’s restoration project in Woodstock Road.

She said: “I have gone to the church for 15 years and I wanted to contribute to make sure the community can grow and benefit from the really good work the parish provides.”

To sponsor Miss Lally see justgiving.com/regina-lally or justgiving.com/regina-lally2010

Oxford United fan and Covered Market jeweller Andy Hill, is raising money for the club’s 12th Man Fund.

Mr Hill, who lives in the city centre, said: “Marathon running is very similar to the trials and tribulations of a football season. There are highs and lows, agony and ecstasy, and the knowledge that you have a long hard slog ahead of you, but step by step you get nearer to the final prize.”

To sponsor Mr Hill see oxvox.org.uk

Meanwhile, two years after running the London Marathon carrying a pint of beer, Gill Begnor, from Hook Norton, is taking on the challenge for the second time – this time dressed as a bottle of ale.

The 44-year-old is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run by a woman dressed as a bottle, which currently stands at five hours.

Mrs Begnor is completing the challenge in aid of blood cancer charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research after friend James Clarke, managing director of Hook Norton brewery, lost his sister Victoria to leukaemia in 1986.

Speaking of her £2,000 outfit, she said: “The heat inside the costume is the least of my worries.

“The fact that my stride length is reduced to about half of what is normal for me and that my arms have to be in one position holding the costume steady to stop it tripping me up is going to be more of a problem.”

To sponsor Mrs Begnor see hookypint.co.uk

Bicester-based Paul Chipperfield, an executive at Morgan Cole Solicitors in Oxford, is taking on the challenge after watching his brother-in-law complete the race last year.

The 35-year-old is trying to raise £1,250 for Daisy’s Dream, which supports children and their families following bereavement.

Mr Chipperfield said: “This year I decided however good it was to watch, it can only be better by being involved myself.

“All the encouragement and all the support they get to get them over the finishing line, it’s quite awe-inspiring.”

To sponsor Mr Chipperfield see justgiving.com/chip69

Veteran marathon runner Nick Moglia is putting his trainers back on after completing three marathons in the early 1980s. He took up running again in 2005 and now averages 1,000 miles per year.

The 50-year-old, of New Yatt, has almost tripled his £7,500 fundraising target for local charity Cecily’s Fund, which helps children orphaned by Aids in Zambia, and cash is still pouring in.

The company managing director said: “I’m optimistic I will finish it because by then I will have done several long runs. The biggest challenge will be getting round in a good time.”

To sponsor Mr Moglia see virginmoneygiving.com/nickmoglia

Paul Thomas, 41, a teacher at Witney Community Primary School, is hoping to cross the finish in under four hours.

He said: “I like the sense of achievement in marathons because there is no shortcuts. You have to put in lots of training and, the more you do, the better results you get.”

He is raising money for IMPS, a charity which teaches children about first aid and CPR.

To sponsor him visit justgiving.com/paulthomas-imps

In Wallingford, Julie Shand has been gearing up for the big day, supported by her husband Mark and two daughters Rebecca, 14, and Rachel, 11.

The 43-year-old insurance broker, of Fraser Gardens, said: “The children are quite excited, they keep telling me they are proud of me.

“I don’t think they comprehend how far I run sometimes when I come back and they are asking for lifts and what is for tea.”

To sponsor Mrs Shand, who is raising £2,000 for Help the Hospices, visit justgiving.com/JulieShandLondonMarathon