TEAM Weldmar is ready to run.

Nine runners from the Dorset hospice charity are ready to join thousands of other runners at Sunday's London Marathon.

After putting in hours of training over recent weeks and months, the runners are set to take on the 26.2-mile capital city run and raised thousands for their chosen cause in the process.

Events fundraiser for the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust Katie Slade said that the charity had five golden bond places this year, which it was able to allocate to runners, and had four further marathon entrants choose to run for the charity.

The charity got the team together ahead of race day to hand out their Weldmar t-shirts that they will wear on the day and the charity's fundraising manager Matt Smith, who ran the marathon in 2013, was able to offer the runners tips on what to expect on race day.

Katie said it was brilliant to see so many people running for Weldmar this year and it was good for them to meet each other before the big day.

She said: "It's nice to get everybody together."

She added that a delegation from Weldmar will be heading up to London on Sunday and setting up a 'cheer station' to help give the runners a boost as they head round the course.

Among the runners taking on the is Peter Hyde, from Winfrith Newburgh, who said he knows well the great work that Weldmar does.

He said: "My wife is a volunteer for Weldmar and I also know a few people who have been through there."

Simon Mitchell, from Weymouth, is the only one of the Weldmar runners who has run the London Marathon before, having done it last year.

He is manage of Weldmar's store in St Thomas Street in Weymouth.

Simon said: "I'm doing it to raise money for this great cause as well as doing my bit on the retail front."

Jon Formon has raised funds for Weldmar before by taking on the charity's Sahara trek in 2013.

He said: "I enjoyed it and wanted to run a marathon as well.

"I thought it was a good local charity to support."

The other members of Team Weldmar are Jack Morrison, Tina Ironside, Simon Jones, Sarah Horton, Claire Connolly and Hannah Sawkins.

Between them the team have raised more than £13,000 for the charity.

As well as heading up to support the team, Weldmar staff will also be updated the charity's website on Sunday when its runners have finished the race.

Visit weld-hospice.org.uk

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