A GROUP of friends took on the London Marathon to raise more than £8,000 for a children’s charity.

Chris and Lindsey Pedlar, from Radcliffe, Martin and Amanda Davies, from Atherton, Mark Walker, from Whitefield, and Jackie Mitchell, from Prestwich, completed the 26.2 miles in aid of WellChild and between them collected more than £8,000 in donations.

The group ran past some of London’s most iconic landmarks on Sunday.

It was 35-year-old Lindsey’s first marathon and she managed to run the race in five hours and 33 minutes.

Lindsey, who lives with her husband Chris in Waterside Close, said: “It was a magical experience, almost like having a party just for you.

“The atmosphere was amazing, with the route packed with people cheering us on.

“To be able to see some of the most iconic landmarks was fantastic.

“My favourite point had to be Tower Bridge, which had so many spectators cheering everyone on. It was incredible.”

The group chose to raise cash for WellChild, which supports sick children across the UK.

Lindsey, director at Reward my Fitness in Bury, added: “WellChild helped a friend of ours when she needed it most.

“She wrote to about 100 charities asking for help to transform her garden into a safe environment for her autistic son, and WellChild was the only charity to respond.

“They came round and turned her garden into a beautiful place for her son and that’s why we chose to raise cash for them.

“It’s nice to see money being spent locally to help families in our area.”

Mark, 37, from Tamworth Avenue, completed the marathon in four hours and 15 minutes, while Jackie, 53, from Park Street, finished at five hours and 33 minutes.

Amanda, 40, finished in four hours and 39 minutes behind Martin and Chris, who completed the race in three hours and 45 minutes.