26 Miles of Newly-Weds, Rhinos and Superman.

They donned rhino suits, pantomime dame costumes, tutus and other costumes fastened together with little more than gaffer tape and determination. They ran in the British-sun to beat personal bests, to prove, for the no longer young, that they still could, to support various charities and causes and for the sheer joy of being part of the rolling street party that is the London Marathon. Behind the task that united thousands of athletes today was a myriad of personal challenges and stories that have made each gruelling step of the 26.2-mile course a richer and indeed fascinating experience.

Among them was Blinded Pc David Rathband who completed the Virgin London Marathon alongside tens of thousands of charity runners, celebrities and record-breakers. The Northumbria police traffic officer blinded by gunman Raoul Moat, said he used the memory of the attack to finish the race. "People will use whatever things they need to get them through pain barriers," he said after passing the finish line.

Runners strived to achieve ambitions and break records. Among the records up for grabs were fastest superhero, marching band, man juggling a football, cartoon character and runner dressed as a mouse. In total, 156 runners were attempting to smash 50 world records on the tough slog from Blackheath to Buckingham Palace. David Stone, 41, from Exmouth, Devon, ran as Superman in 2:42.46, while Jon Morgan, 43, from Sheffield, dressed as Fred Flintstone to become the fastest cartoon character in a time of 2:46.59.

Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell was one of the first celebrities over the finish line. He was running for brain injury charity Headway after suffering brain damage when he was hit by a truck in a cycling endurance race in America last July. The 38-year-old clocked in at three hours and three minutes, and said he had not been able to train hard enough to achieve an even quicker time.

Singer Will Young was running to raise money for Catch22, which helps young people develop their confidence; from getting back into school or into training to choosing to stay out of crime and finding a safe place to live.

Model, Agyness Deyn and BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth finished the course, despite Rawrothcollapsing two miles from the finishing line. 

Among those in unusual attire were a "royal couple" who ran in full wedding outfits and Will and Kate masks. But the real wedding for this 26 mile feat were couple Andrew Ford, 33, and Katrina Scaife, 32, who took a break after 20 miles to get married. The pair, from Brighton, tied the knot at a Docklands hotel before jogging away to the finishing line hitched, luckily without a bunch of tin cans tied to their rears. Beat that Wills & Kate!

With the race over, the streets of London have become hushed from the chaos and no doubt tutu-clad runners are sat with their feet up anda well deserved cuppa! Well done Marathon runners 2011.

-ZB