THE Royal National Lifeboat Institution is set to benefit from the efforts of two Essex runners who are training for this year's Flora London Marathon.

THE Royal National Lifeboat Institution is set to benefit from the efforts of two Essex runners who are training for this year's Flora London Marathon.

John Gibson and Jan Topolewski have been actively raising sponsorship money since early this year.

Mr Gibson, from Clacton-on-Sea, has been running for 20 years and is a member of the Harwich Runners.

This will be his second London Marathon. The 55-year-old last participated in 1997 and was devastated when he broke his ankle at the three-mile point on a water bottle. He is now fully recovered and has been training intensively in preparation for the race in April.

Jan lives in Wivenhoe, near Colchester, and owns a frozen food wholesale business. It was a member of his staff who suggested that he run for the RNLI.

Mr Topolewski, 45, said: "He explained to me that the RNLI is funded solely by donations with no Government financial assistance."

Meanwhile, 26 year-old Tamara Carrick, from Colchester, is also training for this year's race, hoping to raise at least £2,000 for Leukaemia Research Fund.

Tamara's sister, Natalie, was diagnosed with the life threatening disease in 1996 at just 26 years of age.

Ms Carrick said: "I am glad to say that Natalie pulled through and is now encouraging me to complete this challenge."

The money Tamara raises will help the charity fund vital research into blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma which are diagnosed in 24,500 people in Britain every year.

If you want to join John Gibson and Jan Topolewski in saving lives at sea, contact Clare Kavanagh on 01202 663504.

To sponsor Ms Carrick's marathon effort in aid of the Leukaemia Research Fund visit her website at www.justgiving.com/tamara