CONGRATULATIONS to three London Marathon runners from the Voice patch who took on the 26.2 mile challenge in sweltering conditions.

Photographer Amy Griffin, 30, from Penryn, tackled the course with the aim of raising £2,500 for Truro-based international disaster relief charity ShelterBox. She finished in five hours and 26 minutes and exceeded her target by £500.

Amy has captured powerful images for the charity, documenting shelter responses in countries like Cameroon, Ethiopia, Jamaica and the Philippines. “I’ve spoken with families who have lost their homes amid disaster and conflict, yet remain resilient in the most difficult of circumstances,” she said. “I’ve also seen how the right support can help to restore dignity, stability and hope. That’s what I reminded myself of throughout this mighty big challenge.”

The atmosphere on the day was “electric”, although Amy admitted the warm sunshine was “a little problematic - I felt pretty overheated by 14 miles, but kept going and was proud to cross the finish line having raised over £3,000 for ShelterBox.”

Amy sought out flat training routes – “no mean feat in Cornwall” - and ran primarily on the Camel Trail. “It felt surreal watching the seasons change as the training months passed by.” Attempts to train on the Bissoe trail were thwarted by wet winter weather: “It made the path a little more challenging, with so much mud.”

Steve Michell from St Erme completed the circuit in three hours, 52 minutes and 22 seconds. This was his second London Marathon and a personal best by four minutes. He raised close to £2,500 to support the work of two causes: Redruth-based childhood bereavement charity Penhaligon's Friends and adult burns charity Dan's Fund for Burns.

“It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, and put the time and effort in,” he said. “Running for causes so close to my heart made it all the more worthwhile. It was hot, so harder work than it might have been – having trained in wind and rain over the winter, it wasn't what I was used to, that's for sure!”

Oliver Russell, from St Columb Major, ran in memory of his 18-year-old stepson Rhys and finished in five hours and six minutes. Rhys lost his life in March 2025 after a lengthy battle with melanoma; he was diagnosed in November 2021 after discovering a mole on the top of his head, and the cancer spread to his spine and throughout his body.

Oli and his wife Lauren were studying at the University of Plymouth’s Truro School of Nursing throughout Rhys’s treatment, and received support from national charity Young Lives vs Cancer, for which Oli has raised almost £6,000.

“Lauren and I made a promise to Rhys, and each other, to make every single moment we had left with him as special and meaningful as we could,” said Oli, who is now a practice nurse with St Austell Healthcare. “I’m not a runner, but I wanted to do something big to honour Rhys.”