THREE childhood friends from Andover completed the London Marathon to raise almost £5,000 for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

Sophie Pearson, Kate Murelli and Lexi Rae have been best friends since attending St John the Baptist Primary School in Andover.

Sophie, who now teaches at St John the Baptist, only took up running again last year, after the birth of her daughter Olivia.

She said: “It’s made me realise anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I don’t know what it would have been like if it was just me. Kate and Lexi made it easier.”

Sophie added: “I’ve always come up to watch other people in it. My mum and dad are from the start area of the marathon so I used to watch it as a child.

“I had a couple of friends who wanted to enter the ballot too. I enjoyed seeing all of my family. I think I went a little bit hyper when I saw them. I took a couple of selfies and high-fived Denise Lewis.”