Staff in newsrooms across the country have been recovering this week after competing in the London Marathon.

East Anglian Daily Times editor Terry Hunt and news editor Brad Jones raised money for their paper’s St Elizabeth Hospice campaign.

Brad, (33), clocked up a time of 3h 40m, while Terry, (50), found the going tough during his second London Marathon, finishing the 26.2 mile course in 6h 9m.

Brad said: “It was my first marathon and an incredible experience. I think everyone found the heat tough to cope with, but the crowd was amazing and really helped – particularly in the last six miles when I was on my last legs.”

Between them, Terry and Brad have raised more than £4,500 for their chosen cause.

Terry added: “To be honest, I was pleased just to finish. For various reasons I hadn’t done nearly enough training, and when the day dawned hot and clear I knew I was in trouble.

“So I trotted the first half and then walked quite a lot of the second half, accompanied by, among other weird and wonderful competitors, a rhino, a Womble, and Darth Vadar and Chewbacca.”

Another regional press editor who took part was Jane Manning, from the Scunthorpe Telegraph, who completed her fourth London Marathon.

The 42-year-old raised £300 for Talking Newspapers.

She said: “I finished in 4h 14m, which is some half an hour over my personal best.

“But it was so hot I really didn’t mind – just getting to the finish line was my goal.”

Ed Mezzetti, from the Oxford Mail, also made it to the finishing line – even after collapsing shortly before the end of the race.