A RADIO presenter, a doctor and a one-time couch potato are stepping up the pace as they prepare for the biggest race of their lives.

They will join thousands of runners taking part in this year’s London Marathon on Sunday, April 25.

The 26.2-mile course passes through the streets of the capital from Blackheath to The Mall.

Last year people taking part raised £47.2m for good causes at home and abroad.

Jack FM Morning Glory presenter Trevor Marshall is hoping his short legs will carry him to the finish line.

The 39-year-old, who can be heard on Oxfordshire’s airwaves between 6am and 9am on weekdays, is running the marathon to raise money for Oxford’s Sobell House hospice, which is supporting fellow Jack FM presenter and cancer sufferer Ali Booker.

Trevor, who is 5ft 7in, said: “The guys I do the show with, Greg and Sue, have been taking the mickey out of me because of my short legs, saying I will have to run twice as fast to finish it.

“We’re raising money for Sobell House to cover Ali’s drinks bill for the past week.

“The hospice will do anything for anyone, they always go the extra mile. It’s a fantastic place.”

To sponsor him, see justgiving.com/trevmarshall

Former Matthew Arnold School pupil Mark Wheeler, 43, is travelling almost 4,000 miles from his US home in Chicago to run the marathon in aid of John Masefield House, in Burcot, which is run by Leonard Cheshire Disability.

His severely handicapped stepbrother Nigel Langford is a resident at the home.

Mr Wheeler, who grew up in Appleton and is hoping to raise £4,000, said: “Having seen my brother go downhill and having seen all the wonderful work that they do there, I wanted to raise some money.”

To sponsor him see uk.virginmoneygiving.com/helpmarkraisethedosh

Alan Stratton has watched the marathon from the comfort of his sofa nearly every year since it started.

But this year he will be taking part himself, after he decided in January last year that he needed to do something about his weight and lifestyle.

Mr Stratton, who has lost five stones in weight, is raising money for a pelican crossing in his home village of Tiddington, near Wheatley, as well as an all-weather play area.

The 43-year-old said: “I was about 16 stone – I was obese.

“I thought ‘that’s not me, that’s those big American people you see strolling around taking up two chairs’ and I thought that I couldn’t have that. I now weigh in at 10st 10lb.”

To sponsor him, see marathoncrossing.org.uk

Headington woman Dr Niki Meston, of St Anne’s Road, is pounding the streets to help people with epilepsy after her brother Paul died five years ago, aged 37, from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, known as Sudep.

Dr Meston, who will be 41 on the day of the marathon, is no stranger to marathons, having run 26 since 1996.

She said: “At school I was overweight and last in every sport going. The only sport I really enjoyed was the mile, which was considered long-distance then.

“Since running my first marathon I’ve just got the running bug and I’m working towards the ‘100 marathon’ T-shirt.’ “My amazing brother was a very special person. His spirit lives on and I always run marathons with his photo on my vest, so he’s with me.”

She is hoping to raise more than £2,000 for the National Society for Epilepsy. To sponsor her, see justgiving.com/Niki-Meston

Epilepsy sufferer Andrew Geake, 25, aims to raise £3,000 for the same cause.

Mr Geake, from St Clement’s, Oxford, was diagnosed six years ago, after having a seizure on holiday in Croatia.

He said: “I was 19 and abroad with friends when I had my first seizure.

“Fortunately my epilepsy is almost totally controlled by drugs, so I’m able to lead a good life without my epilepsy getting in the way.

“I know many people with this condition aren’t so fortunate and I want to run this marathon to support them, their families and to raise the profile of the NSE.”

To sponsor him, see virginmoneygiving.com/AndrewGeake

Darren Davies, 40, of Leiden Road, Wood Farm, was inspired to become a personal trainer after first running the marathon in 2007.

The father-of-one is hoping his third marathon will raise £1,000 for Victa, a charity which helps visually-impaired children.

He said: “It’s the marathon that got me into personal training and I thought I would like to help other people with their own fitness.

“I can relate to people who are making the journey from the sofa to making a change in their life. I’ve been through the peaks and troughs.”

To sponsor Mr Davies, see virginmoneygiving.com/darrendavies

Toby Christensen, from Linden Crescent, Grove, has been training hard so he is in peak condition to raise money for a charity close to his heart. The 34-year-old building facilities manager at Oxford University wants to raise £1,500 for the British Heart Foundation, to help the charity beat heart and circulatory disease, the UK’s biggest killer.

The father-of-three, who will dye his hair red for the big day, said: “Before he died, my grandfather had a valve replacement and a pacemaker, and both my mother and uncle have had heart valve replacement operations.

“I have undergone tests, as it’s clear heart disease runs in our family and I seem to be okay for the moment.

“However, I’m keeping fit and healthy to try to reduce any potential risk factors.”

To sponsor him, see justgiving.com/tobychristensen