It’s one of those terrible, tragic stories that, against all odds, somehow also manages to lift one’s spirit.

London Marathon runner Claire Squires’ untimely death on Sunday has somehow fanned the flames of our collective spirit and allowed us to glimpse, albeit momentarily, the bigger picture.

And that bigger picture has meant that the £400 Claire originally raised for taking part in the run, has now ballooned – through essentially anonymous donations – to the truly staggering sum of more than £400,000 for Banbury and District Samaritans, where her mother is a volunteer.

Extraordinary, as well as a raw, honest and heartfelt tribute to a woman who believed in helping.

Claire was no superstar or celebrity.

She was a normal person who simply believed in the virtue of giving to good causes.

And now, like an Olympic torch, that sentiment has passed from bearer to bearer, forging an unforgettable tribute.

A timely reminder that despite all the cynicism in the world, the vast majority of us are still capable of being moved, almost instinctively it seems, to do the right thing...