We wanted to do our bit to support those runners from Gloucestershire heading for the capital this weekend to raise money for good causes.

For those of us who have never taken on the 26 mile 385 yards challenge we can only speculate on the efforts involved and the emotions stirred as each takes on a personal battle to the finish line.

Last year the Virgin Money London Marathon is said to have raised the largest amount for an annual single day charity fundraising event - £61.6 million.

And we wanted to do our small bit to boost those building that total for all manner of causes this year.

Click the links to find the fundraising pages for each.

They include Robert Baxter, of Red Admiral Design Associates Ltd, who is raising money for the Spring Centre Trust Fund which provide services for families who have children with special needs and disabilities throughout Gloucestershire. 

Roisin Dobbin-Stacey is the PET/CT Manager at the busy Cobalt Imaging Centre in Cheltenham for local medical charity Cobalt. She will be raising money to help patients living with dementia. 

Pictured above: Left to right: Roisin Dobbin-Stacey, Cobalt and Rosalind Bodman, Dream Seams.

Lisa Richardson will be lining up with thousands of other runners in the capital, taking on the London Marathon for the second year running in support of her best friend, Amy, who has terminal cancer.

Amy (pictured above with Lisa) is described as the driving force of our fundraising for our local hospice, Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court.

Steve Smith, branch manager at health and nursing care agency Nurseplus in Cheltenham is running for Gloucestershire House LCD (Leonard Cheshire Disability) which provides a range of services to physically disabled adults.  

BBC journalist in Gloucestershire, Mark Smith, is running it in aid of the Anthony Nolan charity which helps people with blood cancer and blood disorders who desperately need lifesaving transplants.

kirsty Dunleavy, raising money for Whizz-Kidz which transforms the lives of hundreds of disabled children across the UK. 

Ev Charles, of Barnmeadow Road, Winchcombe, hopes to raise £100 for every mile she completes of the 26-mile course on April 22 to Children with Cancer UK - whose research work helped save the life of her daughter Jasmine. 

Khirstie Bromage, 46 from Kingsway, is raising money for worthy charity Cardiomyopathy UK "because I lost my partner and sons Dad 15 years ago". 

Andy Hart, 48, from Cheltenham, will be raising money for the British Lung Foundation inspired by the memory of former UK athlete Mark Sesay, a close friend who died from lung disease in 2013.  

Paul Berry and Rob Adkins, the directors of the Officeworx Group, are set to run the London Marathon in aid of local charity WellChild - the Cheltenham headquartered national UK Children's charity making it possible for children and young people with exceptional health needs to be cared for at home instead of hospital, wherever possible.

Former Cheltenham College student Joss Ford, from Dymock, is running for Diabetes UK. (pictured above)

This is by no means a definitive list. We chose the above runners at random and wish everyone taking part all the very best of luck.