TWO Cambridgeshire women have become heroes of the London Marathon after one completed the run with a broken foot while another is still out there tackling the course. Days after almost everyone has finished the marathon, Lynn Ashton is still on the 26-mi

TWO Cambridgeshire women have become heroes of the London Marathon after one completed the run with a broken foot while another is still out there tackling the course.

Days after almost everyone has finished the marathon, Lynn Ashton is still on the 26-mile route, and tomorrow (Thursday) should become the first person with chronic lung disease to complete the race while pushing her oxygen cylinder.

The 45-year-old from Hartford is taking five days to complete the feat, accompanied by nurses from Hinchingbrooke and Papworth hospitals, and is raising money for the British Lung Association.

She said yesterday (Tuesday): "I have covered 16 miles so far. The hardest day was the first, it was raining and cold and when you have a lung condition breathing in cold air is very hard. But I am determined to carry on. I am not going to quit now. The support I have had from friends and from the nurses has been brilliant."

Mrs Ashton is being accompanied by her friend Val Malins, also from Hartford.

They are being put up by the Buckingham Gate Hotel where the British Lung Foundation and the hotel management laid on a reception for her as they were so impressed with her efforts.

The other hero of the marathon was Heather Eggett, from St Ives, who completed the course on Sunday despite breaking her foot 11 miles before the finish line.

The 46-year-old, who works in Heather Lewin Saddlery in St Ives, felt a sharp pain in her right foot at the 15 mile mark. Determined to carry on she took two pain killers, tightened her shoe laces and battled on and completed the course in five and a half hours.

Still in pain the following morning, she visited hospital where her foot was X-rayed and doctors told her she had suffered a broken foot.

She said: "They told me I had broken the third metatarsal. I felt it go at 15 miles, but took a couple of pain killers and carried on.

"I was doing a walk then a run routine, but from 18 miles I ran the rest.

"The crowds were fantastic and along with the adrenaline and the pain killers I managed to get to the finish."

Heather was running to raise money for the Stroke Association in memory of her husband John Eggett, who died suddenly from a stroke last September aged just 45. He went out running with Heather to help her train the night before he died. She raised more than £2,500.

A memorial football match is being held on Bank Holiday Monday at Hemingford's Playing Fields at 10.30am to remember Heather's husband.

* David Harrison (4h 50min) from Bury raised £1,600 for The Anthony Nolan. Paul Reader from Offord D'arcy raised £7,997.83 for Canine Partners. Professor David Haslam, senior GP partner at Ramsey Health Centre completed the marathon in just over five hours. Sandra Butler (4h 53min) from Warboys raised over £1,500 for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation.