STAFF and clients of a Hampshire communications firm helped make up a 16,000-strong field for the annual Royal Parks Half Marathon in London.

Fundraising for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity the team from the PPS Group has raised nearly £2,000 so far – and the money is still pouring in.

Cheered on by more than 50,000 supporters from charities all over the country the route took in the top sights in London, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and The Mall, as well as most of the historical London parks.

All PPS runners completed the race, from the fastest time of one hour 30 minutes to just over two hours 15 minutes.

PPS directors Lisa Alexander and Chris Wotton, who have now completed a hat-trick of London Park Half Marathons, said: “It was a brilliant run and so well organised. We are delighted as a team to have raised thousands of pounds for Great Ormond Street.”

Chris’s mum trained as a nurse at the hospital so it carries a special place in his heart.

First-time race runner and Daily Echo Editor-in-Chief Ian Murray said: “Thank you to PPS, Chris and Lisa for organising this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was very pleased to get to the finishing line – I don’t think I would have lived it down in the newsroom otherwise!”