MORE than 30,000 runners are expected to take part in this year’s London Marathon.

Fun runners and serious athletes will tackle the strenuous 26.2mile course around the capital on Sunday.

Some 36,000 runners and wheelchair racers will take part in the long journey to Westminster.

HAYLEY Nichols, 32, a nail technician from Billericay, is running in aid of Basildon Hospital’s Polly Parrot appeal.

It is Hayley’s first marathon, but she has wanted to enter since she was 15, when she watched her dad take part.

To sponsor Hayley, visit justgiving.com/ Hayley-Nichols

FORMER Canvey schoolboy Jordan Greenaway, 23, is running in aid of Havens Hospices.

Former Castle View School pupil Jordan, who now works as an insurance broker, completed last year’s marathon in four hours and 50 minutes, but hopes to improve his time significantly when he takes to the capital’s streets again this year.

To sponsor Jordan, visit justgiving.com/ JordanGreenaway

OLIVER Croft, 26, is a veterinary surgeon at Basildon PDSA Pet Hospital, in High Road, Vange. He will run in aid of the pet charity.

Mr Croft also appears on all marketing literature for the animal charity alongside his cocker spaniel, Digby, after being chosen as the face of its national campaign.

To sponsor Oliver, visit justgiving.com/Oli-Croft/ or text PET to 70030

ANGELA Smith, 38, of Brundish, Pitsea, is running in aid of the National Deaf Children’s Society, which helped her son.

Robbie Jr, one, was born profoundly deaf and suffers from heart problems.

To sponsor Angela, visit virginmoneygiving.com/Running4Robbie FORMER gymnastics champion Mike Hawthorne, from Basildon, is running in aid of charity Sense, for deaf and blind people.

Mr Hawthorne, 54, known as “Happy Mike”, was born deaf and feels having two impairments makes it twice as difficult to cope.

To sponsor Mike, visit virginmoneygiving.com/mikehawthorne

SARAH Deacon, from Basildon, is running in aid of the Papworth Trust.

The florist already raised £1,841 for the disability charity with a buffet dinner, raffle and sports-themed silent auction at Romford Greyhound Stadium.

KATIE Wakefield’s two older brothers entered her into the London Marathon without her knowing to raise money for the British Lung Foundation.

Katie, 29, will be running in memory of her aunt Jenny, who had one of the country’s first single organ transplants in 1989.

She was originally told she would only live for an extra three to five years, but enjoyed another 22 years before passing away.

Her brothers, Paul and Neil, who are both living abroad, entered Katie into the race to raise funds for a charity close to the family’s hearts.

To sponsor Katie, visit justgiving .com/katie-wakefield1

THREE people from south Essex are taking part in the London Marathon to raise money for children going through cancer.

Roofer Arry Harding, 26, from Benfleet, plumber Darren Peace, 38, from Rochford, and restaurant manager Nicholas Merenda, 30, from Westcliff are among the 1,400 “superheroes” running the marathon to raise funds for Children with Cancer UK.

Each is busy training for the big day, where they hope to make £2,000 each.

The charity’s head of events, Ben Twyman, said: “All our runners are superheroes for giving up their precious time, not only to train, but to raise much-needed funds to help us fight childhood cancer.”

A HOSPICE nurse caring for adults living with serious conditions will be running the marathon to raise money for the patients she cares for.

Natalie Kitchen, 44, from Thundersley, has been deputy day care sister at Fair Havens Hospice, inWestcliff, for 18 months and will be joining ‘Team Havens’ on Sunday to take part in the London Marathon Novice runner Natalie has already exceeded her fundraising target and raised more than £2,000 in sponsorship.

AMY Bryant, 22, a PE teacher at Greensward Academy is planning to run the London Marathon to raise money for Bliss, the special care baby charity, who helped her family when she was born prematurely.

She said, “I was born seven weeks early and my family were fortunate in that they were fully supported and after a couple of weeks, I was able to go home. Now, aged 22, I would like to showmy appreciation for all the hard work that Bliss do in supporting others”

A YOUNG man is to run the London Marathon in homage to his nan, who died eight years ago.

Jake Inwood, 20, from Southend, is running the marathon to raise cash for the Stroke Association, after his nan, Lillian Cox, died of a stroke while at home eight years ago.

The Royal Mail worker has raised almost £2,000 for the charity.

He said: “I was just 12 years old at the time, but when it happened, I knew I wanted to do more for other families who are faced with this devastating condition.”

A YOUNG woman is running the London Marathon in memory of her aunt who died suddenly of bowel cancer.

Leigh resident Sarah Edkins, 25, will be covering the gruelling course for Cancer Research UK.

Kaye Wood, of Basildon, was taken ill in December 2011 and diagnosed with bowel cancer, but was not strong enough to start chemotherapy and died early in 2012.

Her niece, Sarah, aims to raise £5,000 to help beat cancer and is encouraging anyone who already has a place in the event to join her in Cancer Research UK’s team.

MATTHEW Herterich, from Thorpe Bay, is running the marathon in aid of mental health charity Mind.

He has already raised nearly £400.

Matthew, 33, said: “I’m running for them, not only because they are a fantastic charity, but also because my now ex-girlfriend’s cousin suffers from bipolar and I have seen how this really affects a person and that we don’t do enough to understand the complexities of mental health issues and be more compassionate to those that are suffering.”

CHARITY worker Gemma Williamson got a helping hand from double Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson, who she is pictured with, as she trained for the London Marathon.

Gemma 26, from Leigh, was put through her paces by the decathlon legend at Battersea Park.

She said: “I want to raise money for Barnardo’s because I see first hand the difference we make every day to help children and families.”

A WHEELCHAIR USING student from South Essex College is taking part in this year’s London Marathon to raise money for a spinal cord injury charity.

Eddie Clampin, who was left paralysed from the waist down after a motorbike accident in 2008, will be completing the course for Back Up, a charity that works with people affected by spinal cord injuries.

He has been training in preparation for the event by swimming half a mile twice a week and completing a 10-mile course in his wheelchair along the seafront every Sunday.

Eddie, 36, from Southend, said: “Training has been tough, swimming has been fun, but the wind can really affect my pushing technique.”

SOUTHEND United Boss Phil Brown is gearing up for his first marathon.

Brown will be running the marathon to raise money for the Sparks Children Charity and the Amy May Trust, which generates funds for the treatment of Blues chairman Ron Martin’s niece, who remains in hospital after suffering a catastrophic anaphylaxis reaction to a single bite of food in April 2014.

The Shrimpers chief said: “Running for two such good causes will definitely keep me going.

“I’ve done work in the past for Sparks to help children born with illnesses and the funding for the treatment.”

To sponsor Phil Brown, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/philbrown10 A SOUTHEND woman plans to raise £2,000 by running the London Marathon.

Alison Steel, 24, will take on the challenge in aid of the University College London Cancer Research Institute.

Her uncle Theo Steel, 65, has battled cancer three times in the last eight years and is currently in remission.

Alison said: “I’m running for Uncle Theo.

He’s had so much treatment at UCL, from stem cell to chemotherapy, and the work they do is amazing.

“He is in remission now, which we are all really pleased about and I wanted to raise money for UCL because it is such a worthwhile cause.”

A MATHS teacher is running three marathons in five weeks in aid of people suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Kyle Parsad, 27, from Rayleigh, has already run the Rome marathon and is now preparing to complete both the Paris and London marathons in April.

Mr Parsad, a teacher at James Hornsby School in Basildon, said he decided to run in aid of Cystic Fibrosis Trust after seeing a former girlfriend live with the condition.

He said: “It has always been close to my heart and a pupil at the school also has it.”

So far, Mr Parsad has raised more than £1,300 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

A HEAD TEACHER is taking on her third London marathon marathon.

Rachel Welch, 42, who runs both Stambridge Primary School, in Stambridge Road, and Waterman Primary School, in the Boulevard, Rochford, is gearing up Sunday’s even.

She is running for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the third time she has run for the charity, but for the first time she is running with no set target to raise.

However, she hopes to raise as much as possible for the charity after running for them in previous marathons in 2012 and 2013.

CLARE Panniker, chief executive of Basildon Hospital, is running to fund toys, gadgets and decorations to make patients’ stays more pleasant.

Mrs Panniker, who describes herself as a “plodder” but regularly completes eight-mile routes, will run in aid of the trust’s Polly Parrot appeal.

Sponsorship money raised will fund decorations, distraction and sensory equipment, toys, child-friendly furniture, televisions and other electronic gadgets for patients.

To sponsor Mrs Panniker, visit justgiving.com/panniker4polly/

FIREFIGHTER Stuart Twigg is ready for his first marathon. Stuart, a firefighter with Green Watch at Rayleigh Weir fire station is raising money for ABF, The Soldiers Charity. He hopes to raise £1600. To sponsor him visit: www.justgiving.com/stuart-twigg