A WOMAN from Royston will be running her first Flora London Marathon on Sunday to raise money for local charities and community groups. Leesa Duff of Owen Drive, who is a member of the Royston Runners, hopes to complete the 26.2 mile course in less than f

A WOMAN from Royston will be running her first Flora London Marathon on Sunday to raise money for local charities and community groups.

Leesa Duff of Owen Drive, who is a member of the Royston Runners, hopes to complete the 26.2 mile course in less than four hours for Hertfordshire Community Foundation, a grant making charity and Cancer Research UK.

Leesa said: "I have been training since January. I'm very excited about it but very nervous because I have never run that distance before.

"A lot of members of my running club did it last year and it inspired me. I thought it was a good opportunity to raise money for charity because my dad died of cancer and I think a lot of local charities get over-looked."

Patricia Saunders, of the foundation, said: "Although friends and family will be sponsoring Leesa, she would welcome support and encouragement from as many other local people as possible."

In the past money raised for the foundation has been donated to the Royston and District Volunteer Bureau and Home-Start Royston and South Cambridgeshire.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Leesa should call the foundation on 01707 251351.

- Mandy Keeble, Karen Raeside, Kim Monti, Mandy Jinkerson and Jackie Garland are fellow Royston Runners who will be running in the London Marathon in aid of Macmillian Nurse, Childline, Visually Impaired Children Taking Action (Victa), the Addenbrooke's oncology centre and the Mid-Essex Doctors Immediate Care Service (Medics).

Sponsorship of the Royston Runners can also be taken to Sports Kit, High Street, Royston.