THE sense of achievement more than balanced the pain and misery for runners from north Essex who went the distance.

From dedicated runners to fundraisers, scores of people from the area took part in the Flora London Marathon.

Colcestrian Paul Kelly, 29, did the run to mark turning his life around after battling alcoholism, drug addiction and homelessness. He completed the course in five hours 39 minutes to raise more than £800 for homeless charity Crisis.

He said: “I got a little injury at about seven miles and while I got halfway in just over two hours, it really affected me after that and I had to stop for treatment twice. But the crowds keep you going and I feel very proud to have finished.”

Andy Wray, a former police officer who suffers from a rare form of amnesia, was “slightly disappointed” to finish 30 seconds over the four-hour mark.

Andy, from Great Wigborough, said: “I was only able to run 17 miles, then I had massive problems with cramps and had to walk.

“I did it in about an hour slower than I wanted to, but that’s just the way it goes.”

Mr Wray, who remembers nothing that happened more than two years ago, and can only fully recall things which happen to him in the preceding 36 hours, is halfway through a fundraising double marathon.

He said: “I’m doing the Edinburgh marathon in five weeks time, so I hope to keep adding to the £500 I’ve raised for Mind so far.”

Ken Wright, of Broadlands Way, Colchester, said he had entered the race by mistake.

He entered a competition without checking what the prize was – and won his place on the starting line.

The 66-year-old said he was “in agony” after finishing in nine hours 15 minutes and raising £600 for Little Havens Children’s Hospice.

“It’s an experience I will both never forget and never repeat,” he said.

Businessman Don Quinn gave up smoking as part of his training, and described the run as “a very uplifting experience”.

The 60-year-old raised £3,000 for Diabetes UK after doing the 26.2 mile course in six hours 40 minutes.

“It was a quintessentially British event, with everyone determined to do something that is slightly bonkers,” he said.

Clare Adams, 36, did the run in 3 hours 42 minutes to raise about £500 for St Helena Hospice.

The money was raised with help from her colleagues and clients at Ardeigh Hall fitness club, who took part in a coffee morning as well as donating their spare change.

“I’m really chuffed with my time especially as I started at the back,” she said.

“I’ve done the Race for Life before and other runs for breast cancer but this time I wanted to do something bigger.

“It was a really good day and I’m so pleased with how I did.”

Malkiat Singh, 62, managed to complete the marathon in eight hours 27 minutes despite his feet swelling up after 18-miles.

Mr Singh of Colchester hopes to raise £3,000 for Children With Leukaemia.

He said: “It was a great day – I wanted to finish in five-and-a-half hours but I kept stopping to talk to the crowd.

“I wanted to thank everyone who came to support us and to the children who gave us sweets.

“I was exhausted after 18 miles, my feet started to swell and I was feeling disorientated but I didn’t want to let the people of Colchester and Dovercourt down.”