A 61-year-old woman knocked almost 25 minutes off her previous time when she ran the London marathon in aid of a Barnet football club.

Ros de la Bertauche, a member of Barnet and District Athletics Club, took part in the 26.2mile challenge to raise money for East Barnet Old Grammarians Football Club, the club she regularly volunteers at.

Ros, who has previously completed two marathons, crossed the finish line in four hours 26 minutes, an improvement on her time of four hours 50 minutes last year.

She said: “I took up running a few years ago just to keep fit and joined local running club Barnet and District AC on the recommendation of a friend who convinced me I would love it. 

“Since that day I haven’t looked back and I am thrilled to have been able to complete my third London Marathon in under four and a half hours, which was my target.

“Old Grammarians FC is a worthwhile cause that needs supporting. The football club, as well as my running club, provides an excellent community resource for the Barnet area, it is run entirely by volunteers and funded solely by membership fees and the fundraising efforts of club members.”

Other runners from across the borough took part in the marathon to raise money for Cricklewood-based World Jewish Relief.

Marc Plesner, of Totteridge, raised nearly £4,500 for the charity which helps communities that are vulnerable or in crisis.

Marc said: “I wanted to support World Jewish Relief because I didn’t want to support an only Jewish-based charity and WJR supports the whole wider spectrum, Jews and non-Jews. It’s a great cause.”

Hannah Morris, who lives in Finchley, said: “Being Jewish myself it is naturally a charity close to my heart so this, coupled with the fact that its helps other communities in needy areas of the world, makes it a really worthy cause. 

“I would never run the marathon without being involved in a charity that I believe in.”

Marc and Hannah joined seven other World Jewish Relief runners who together helped raise more than £30,000 for the charity.

The money raised will go to support the charity's programmes in the former Soviet Union, which includes training single parents so they find employment.