MORE than 40,000 runners took to the streets of London on Sunday for the London Marathon, including a cavewoman from Farnham.

Nicky McKenzie now holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest cavewoman, completing this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon in three hours 35 minutes while carrying a one kilogram club.

The hairdresser said it was the “hardest marathon I have run” and, although not a personal best, she was “delighted” with her time.

Sarah Jamieson completed her first marathon on Sunday in honour of her best friend Lucy Zirbser, who passed away on August 31 last year following a three-and-a-half-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer.

Lucy completed 26 marathons from the time of her diagnosis, including her 11th consecutive London Marathon in April 2018, just two days after yet another chemotherapy session. On July 7 she completed her 74th and final marathon.

Sarah, a design director at Ruby Mane Hair Boutique in Lion and Lamb Yard, took Lucy’s place in this year’s marathon in her memory, with ‘Team Zee’ raising more than £11,400 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.

She crossed the finish line in four hours 31 minutes alongside Lucy’s husband Mark Zirbser and friend Vicky Herdman-Grant.

United States seniors champion, John Thompson, ran in support of Mind Body EDS, finishing in four hours four minutes.

John was said to be doing “so well up to about 32km”, when he suffered an “excruciating pain” from leg to spine.

He walked to the Limehouse Cheer Point where Laura and ten others for the charity were ready to hydrate and cheer him along.

When he walked up to Laura and said he needed help, Laura reportedly gave him a big hug, provided him a couple of paracetamols and John said he would try to finish, which he did.

The charity’s marathon fundraising has reached more than £20,000 so far. Finishing in three hours 49 minutes was Kevin Laurie, a Farnham postman who also raised more than £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

He said he “loved every single minute of the marathon”, adding: “Seeing Buckingham Palace and turning into The Mall is something I’ll never forget.”

Jamie Barlow, co-founder and managing director of Farnham-based Hyped Marketing, crossed the finish line of his first full marathon in five hours 12 minutes, raising £1,562 for St John Ambulance.

While it was one of the “hardest things I have ever done”, Jamie said the “atmosphere was fantastic” and it was the “best experience ever”. Beating her time of five hours 41 minutes from last year, Lucy Howlett finished in five hours seven minutes and was “happy with the improvement”.

She also hit her fundraising target of £2,000, having so far raised £2,300 for Children with Cancer UK. More House School in Frensham tweeted on Sunday to congratulate Mrs Tully on completing the marathon in three hours 40 minutes, writing it is “another incredible feat by incredible feet”.

Meanwhile Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice has thanked its team of 24 runners, who have raised an “incredible” expected total of £50,000. The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity were “thrilled” to have seven runners at this year’s marathon, raising £12,000 so far.