THOUSANDS of runners have completed the second Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Despite a foggy start on Sunday, the race went ahead on time and thousands of spectators line the streets in and around York to cheer on the runners.

Among the competitors was Dave Smith, from Aislaby, who was raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

The 66-year-old completed the gruelling 26.2-mile course in four hours and 29 minutes, which he said he was pleased with it after suffering with some knee trouble in the run-up to the event.

He said: “It was a great day, the atmosphere was amazing and the course was pretty flat. We were really lucky with the weather and although it was foggy, the sun came out at about mile 24 and it was a perfect temperature.

“So far I have raised about £1,200 and it is still coming in which is just fantastic.”

Gazette & Herald reporter Hannah Bryan, 22, completed her first marathon in three hours and 53 minutes.

She said: “I had the best day ever. The route was fantastic and the support from the crowds was brilliant as well.

“I am thrilled with my time and I have already registered for the pre-sale for next year’s race.”

Josh Milner, 20, from Norton, took on the marathon in memory of his friend, Harvey Pettit, who died in April after suffering a chest infection brought on by complications following a bone marrow transplant.

He was raising money for Yorkshire-based children’s cancer charity Candlelighters and completed the race in four hours and nine minutes.

About 7,000 runners took part in the race and the first runner across the line was Kenyan Boniface Kongin, who clocked up a time of two hours 14 minutes to claim the winning title in his first marathon.

The first woman across the line was Shona Fletcher, from Northallerton, who completed the race in two hours and 43 minutes.

Preparations are now underway for the 2015 Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon, which will be held on October 11.

To register for the pre-sale, visit theyorkshiremarathon.com