THEY ran, they walked and in some cases they almost crawled but there were thousands of heroes among them.

London’s Marathon again attracted worldwide attention and this time, for another reason.

The race took place just days after the horrific scenes of carnage when bombers targeted the Boston Marathon in the United States.

Some may have had fears at the back of their minds about another high-profile target. But London got on with the job, pausing only to pay a silent tribute to those who lost their lives in Boston and to allow an extra-vigilant policing operation to get under way.

The race attracts some of the world’s best runners, with Olympics hero Mo Farah to the fore.

But the real heroes are those countless men and women, many of them from Huddersfield, who have chosen to run for charities close to their hearts.

Their efforts yesterday not only raised millions for deserving causes but showed true British grit.