Skipton dentist Andrew Bates knows all the jokes about Marathon Man.

In the famous film Dustin Hoffman is tortured by dentist Lawrence Olivier, who knows exactly where to place his drill for maximum pain.

But Skipton's own dental Marathon Man is much more benevolent. Mr Bates - pictured - completed the London Marathon at the weekend in a time of five hours, 29 minutes and 11 seconds raising at least £2,500 for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

And he was back behind the dentist's chair at his practice on Gargrave Road this week nursing only one or two aches as he returned to his role of keeping Skipton teeth in good order.

He was spurred on in the race by a tactical battle with a group of Wombles. The lead swapped hands a few times en route but he finally stormed through in the closing stages to leave Great Uncle Bulgaria trailing in his wake!

It was a very hot day and Mr Bates admitted it had been tough. He hit "the wall" at the 20 mile mark and was mainly walking for about three miles before picking up the pace again.

He ran the Great North Run last year and took up the challenge of the marathon. But it's a challenge he does not intend to repeat because of the hours of training which have to be devoted to building up stamina - although he did admit on Tuesday that the thought of beating his time was beginning to gnaw at him.

He thanked his family, patients and work colleagues for their support.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Earby fire station officer Chris Nuttall.

"If you'd have asked me on Sunday night I'd have said 'No way, never again', but after a couple of days recovering I'm thinking of doing two next year," said Mr Nuttall, who completed his first marathon, at the age of 49.

He started running last year to lose a bit of weight and has shed around three stone.

"I'd always fancied running a marathon and I thought if I don't do it now, I never will," he said.

And after completing the London Marathon on Sunday in five-and-a-half hours, he's been bitten by the marathon bug.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a tremendous atmosphere, really buzzing - I've never seen anything like it. I've watched it on TV before but it can't compare with being there and taking part."

Now, as the aches and pains start to fade, Chris is already thinking about running more marathons.

"Next year I'll be 50 and will also celebrate 30 years in the fire service, so I thought I might do the London Marathon in April and the New York Marathon in November. Oh, and in September I'll be in Australia visiting my daughter Lucy when the Sydney Marathon is on, so I'm half thinking of doing that!"

Chris raised funds for Multiple Sclerosis by running the London Marathon, both through sponsorship by local businesses and individuals and a series of money spinning events, many of them involving the Young Firefighter group that he helps to run at Barnoldswick Fire Station.

"I want to thank everyone who supported me and especially the Young Firefighters, Andrew Duckworth at the Barnoldswick Co-op for allowing us to collect there, and the magic fingers of my personal masseuse Jean Cooke, of Long Preston!

"But most of all I want to thank my wife Sheila and son Lee for all their support and for sending me out training on cold, dark, wet winter nights when I didn't want to go. I couldn't have done it without them."