FIVE marathon runners are celebrating after smashing a charity's previous fundraising total by raising nearly £10,000.

Jackie Kelly, Tony Wood, Matt Carr, Richard Sandford and Esther Harrod ran for Great Notley-based children's charity PARC Essex in April's London Marathon.

All five successfully completed the event and raised a grand total of £9,678.64 for the charity which looks after children and young people with additional needs from birth to the age of 25.

PARC's Friederike Walter said: "This is the biggest amount to date raised for PARC by our marathon runners. We are incredibly grateful for all our runners for this achievement, and their ongoing support."