A South Norwood woman who took on the London Marathon in memory of her best friend has described the "incredible" feeling of finally crossing the finish line.

Kirstie Morris decided to take on the 26 mile journey to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after her best friend, Nicola, died of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in 2017.

This was the 38-year-old's first ever marathon and said crossing the finish line in just under five hours was a memory she would never forget.

"Taking part in the London Marathon was a huge challenge and an incredible experience," Ms Morris said.

"The atmosphere on the day was brilliant and I am proud to have been part of the heart runners team for such an iconic event.

"Knowing I was running for a wonderful charity made me determined to succeed.

“It was fantastic to have everyone there cheering me on and to know that my sponsorship money will help the BHF raise funds for life saving research to bring new hope to the seven million people living with heart and circulatory disease in the UK.”

In total she raised £4000 towards the foundation.

This was something the BHF's event manager, Karen McDonnell, was over the moon with.

"Without the dedication and commitment of people like Kirstie, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK," she said.

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fail to amaze me and it was incredible to see Kirstie and around 400 others take on such a tough challenge and help us stop heart disease in its tracks.”