Runner Rob Grillo is thanking his lucky stars he did not take part in the London marathon.

The day before he was due to travel to the capital, he received a hand-delivered letter which stopped him in his tracks.

The message was that if he ran, he could drop dead.

Mr Grillo, a former pupil of Skipton's Ermysted's Grammar School, was found to have an enlarged heart.

"My doctor had the letter delivered by hand because if I hadn't got it on Friday, I would have run and I could have dropped dead," said Mr Grillo, who now lives in Keighley.

Now he is awaiting a series of other cardiac tests at Airedale Hospital, Steeton.

However several other local people did run the marathon and raised money for some very worthy causes.

Airton man Alastair Humphreys ran in a full Rhino costume weighing 32 pounds!

The 24-year-old completed the run in four hours 53 minutes to raise money for the Save the Rhino charity. "It was incredible - the crowds were going crazy everywhere they saw me, which was so good for morale," he said.

Tackling the marathon for the first time were sisters Linda Beckwith and Janette Kitchen, who crossed the line together in an impressive four hours 20 minutes.

Linda, of Gargrave, and Janette, of Threshfield, ran to raise funds for Leeds General Infirmary's cancer unit, and hope to hand over £2,000.

They were spurred on by their father, William Stapleton, of Hellifield, who has been treated at the unit. "It was determination that got us through the marathon," said Linda.

Their cousin, Helen Caton, also completed the marathon and raised over £2,000 for BLISS, which raises funds for sick and premature babies.

Formerly of Skipton, Helen completed the marathon in four hours 55 minutes.

Determined runner Sue Preston managed to complete the distance despite having to stop for physiotherapy on a knee injury at 19 miles.

Sue, from Walton Close, Gargrave, was spurred on by her trainer Mike Davis, of the village's Neville Road, and they crossed the line together in four hours 48 minutes

Sue was running for the Cromwell Appeal for cerebal palsy, while Mike, a Skipton postman and a member of the town's athletic club, raised £1,250 for Airedale Hospital's breast cancer unit.

North Ribb rugby player David Bryant swapped his rugby boots for running shoes, finishing in four hours 25 minutes.

David, of Prospect Terrace, told the Herald: "I run just for pleasure but was pleased to overtake Steve Redgrave!"

He was running to raise funds for Manorlands Hospice.

Bradley postmaster Bill Kirkpatrick completed his first-ever marathon in four-and-a-half hours. His £500 sponsorship is to be divided equally between charities for epilepsy and motor neurone disease.

Husband and wife Alastair and Jennifer McDowell, of Draughton, were also celebrating after finishing together in four hours 15 minutes.

The run was part of their 40th birthday celebrations, and for added purpose they decided to raise money for the Cancer Research Campaign.

Settle Harrier Trevor Metcalfe was hoping to complete the course in under four hours. He was on target until the last three miles when he started to tire.

However, he still manage to complete the marathon in four hours 11 minutes.

Stirton couple Peter and Heather Longbottom journeyed to London to see their son, James, in action.

He was running for Look, a charity which supports parents of blind children, a charity close to his heart as his niece, Megan Paul, of Arncliffe, is blind.

He completed the course in three hours and 56 minutes, in what he described as "his first and last" marathon.

Also making the journey to the capital were Alan and Dorothy Huck, of Overdale Grange, in Skipton. They were cheering on their daughter Susan, running her first ever marathon to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature.