DESPITE sweltering heat Dorset’s London Marathon runners pushed past the pain barrier to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Temperatures in the capital reached 19 degrees as people hit the streets for the gruelling 26.2 mile course.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Mutai took home the men’s marathon gold with a time of two hours, four minutes and 40 seconds and Mary Keitany, also from Kenya took women’s gold with a time of two hours, 19 minutes and 19 seconds.

In the wheelchair event Great Britain’s David Weir took the gold in a time of one hour, 30 minutes and five seconds and in the women’s competition the USA’s Amanda McGrory took gold with a time of one hour, 46 minutes and 31 seconds.

In the rest of the race the temperatures proved too much for some runners and St John Ambulance were kept busy as runners when down with heat exhaustion.