The East Anglian Air Ambulance have a five-strong team of gold bond runners gearing up for the London Marathon on April 23 - including a 60-year-old from Watton.

This year the team have five of the gold bond runners who applied for their place directly through EAAA, as well as a ballot runner who is also fund-raising for EAAA.

Jessica Vincent, from Great Yarmouth, is running her first ever marathon.

Her employer Lloyds Bank in Lowestoft are going to match the first £500 she raises. She is aiming to complete the marathon in four hours and is hoping to raise as much money as possible for EAAA.

Darren Walsgrove, an insurance broker from Drayton, is a keen runner and is not new to the marathon scene.

He is hoping to complete the London marathon in four hours and twenty minutes. Mr Walsgrove has an ambitious fund-raising target of £5,000, and aims to reach it by holding a charity auction at his pub in Norfolk, and where he has plenty of 'money can't buy' prizes.

Sixty-year-old Gill Smith from Watton is taking on her first ever marathon, and fund-raising for EAAA as a gold bond runner.

She is hoping to complete the course in five and a half hours. Ms Smith currently volunteers for EAAA and looks forward to continuing her support by running the marathon.

Jonathan Howes from Norwich, chose to fundraise for EAAA after hearing about the work of EAAA from our CEO, Patrick Peal. Jonathan got his place in the marathon after his mother-in-law won a place at the Fosters Solicitors charity ball.

Also aiming to raise as much money for EAAA as possible on Sunday are - Emily Upton, from Duxford, Martin Smith from Haverhill, Michael Cooper, a former boxer from Newmarket, Karen Martin from Haverhill, Debbie Roff from Leighton Buzzard, Daniella Occhionero from Egham, David Neal of Market Deeping and Jamie Parfitt from Ipswich.

For more information on the work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 08450 669 999. You can also follow them on Twitter at @EastAngliAirAmb or 'like' their Facebook page – East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity.