Dozens of people from all walks of life will attempt to run the Flora London Marathon on Sunday.

Viewers watching from the comfort of their homes will witness the strength, courage and outrageous costumes displayed by many participants.

Clare Forbes, 21, of Flamsteed Heights, Broadfield, Crawley, lost her legs after contracting meningitis and the MRSA superbug in 2001.

She will be striding out on Sunday on artificial legs, which she will have to take off every few miles to prevent blistering.

She will also contend with the after-effects of her illness, including severe dizzy spells, headaches and blurred vision.

She said: "The most I have walked in training is 12km but I really want to finish. I want that medal."

She has estimated the race will take her from 9am until midnight and she aims to raise £3,000 for the Meningitis Trust.

Blind runner Iain Millard, 46, of Bannings Vale, Saltdean, hopes to beat his personal best time of just under five hours when he runs his fifth London Marathon on Sunday.

The ex-RAF man only has peripheral vision in his right eye and will run with a guide.

Multiple sclerosis sufferer John Habkirk, 46, of Blake Close, Crawley, will do the course on crutches.

He hopes to complete the course in six-and-a-half hours and has been training in a park.

He said: "My family think I am mad."

The money he raises will go towards the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre.

Dave Beattie, 57, of Lumley Road, Horley, ran the first London marathon and is all set to take on the challenge of the 25th marathon on Sunday.

Dave was among the 7,747 runners who made history when they set off in the very first running of the famous 26.2 mile course on March 29, 1981.

Twenty-four years on he is back to do it all over again.

Peter Nichols, 58, of Montpelier Street, Brighton, a writer and former race director of the London Marathon, will run the race for the first time since 1982 in aid of the Martlets Hospice.

He said: "I'd always promised myself I would run it again but now I have doubts. I know what the race does to you."

Father-of-two Phil Williams, 43, and colleagues from B&W Loudspeakers in Worthing will run the marathon dressed as loudspeakers, for HemiHelp.

He said: "I am desperately trying to get a loudspeaker outfit together and I want to make it as realistic as possible."

But Stuart Townsend, 26, a PE teacher at Dorothy Stringer school, of Bevendean Crescent, Brighton, has just found out that he has not been allocated a space in this year's marathon.

He said: "I am really disappointed because I have been training for this since October."