RUNNERS Raymond Carroll and Beverley Thomas are hard at work training as they prepare to clock up their 15th marathon between them.

Raymond, 59, and Beverley, 50, who both live in Newsome, will join thousands of runners from around the country on April 13 as they take to the streets of the capital for this year’s London Marathon.

Raymond, who owns Raymond Carroll Butchers shop in Newsome, ran the first of his 26.2-mile races back in 1996. Since then has taken part in eight marathons.

This will be Beverley’s seventh marathon after first taking part in such events in 1997.

The friends have been running 30 to 40 miles a week to prepare for the run, a race they hope to complete in four-and-a-half hours.

Raymond said: “The training is pretty hard and very time-consuming. But at the end of the day if you dedicate yourself to something like this you have to make the time to train.

“We always train together, so I guess we motivate each other to keep going and work hard. Neither of us are strangers to this so we know how much training is required for this type of race.”

The pair are running for Sense, a national charity dealing with deaf and blindness.

Beverley, a mother-of-two, is a support teacher for the deaf at Lowerhouses C of E Junior and Infant School.

They hope to raise around £2,500.

Raymond added: “Last year we raised £2,500 for the charity, so if we could possibly match that again this year it would be absolutely amazing.

“We have had a great amount of support all the years Beverley and I have competed in the race, so its a fantastic achievement.”

What’s more, Raymond will have a double celebration when he crosses the finish line as it is his 60th birthday just two days before the race.

He said: “I think it’s a great way to celebrate my birthday; something very different anyway! The atmosphere on the day is phenomenal and we are both really looking forward to it.”