FORMER Stourbridge resident, Georgina Garratt has raised more than £13,500 for a charity close to her heart by completing the London Marathon.

The 33-year-old laced up her running shoes yesterday (Sunday) to take part in the biggest fitness challenge of her life.

The senior lawyer, who now lives in Northampton, ran the 26.2 mile race in memory of her sister Victoria Garratt, who died in May last year while awaiting a lung and heart transplant.

Victoria, aged 33, had rare form of lung disease and required a 24 hour supply of oxygen towards the end of her life.

Before she signed up for the marathon, Miss Garratt was a novice runner but decided to challenge herself in a bid to understand what it must have felt like for her sister to struggle to breathe on a daily basis.

Miss Garratt, has raised £13,540 for the British Lung Foundation, along with her friend, Sarah Duffy, who was due to run with her but was forced to pull out due to injury.

She managed to complete the race in five hours, three minutes but is tempted to try to beat it next year.

Miss Garratt added: "The day was absolutely fantastic, something I will never forget. The crowds were incredible, to the point I even forgot that I was running and before I knew it, I had clocked up another few miles.

"It was a scorcher of a day, I look like a stripy red lobster now so that's pretty sore but thankfully that's the only pain I have. My body fared very well so I am over the moon."