A nursery manager raised more than £9,000 for charity after running the Chicago marathon.

Claire Heath, manager of Grasshoppers Day Nursery in York Road, St Albans, battled an unexpected heatwave and 45,000 runners in the marathon to cross the finish line.

Her fundraising total has since topped the £9,000 mark, with proceeds going to The Sue Andrews Foundation which supports charities such as Daisy’s Dream and Macmillan.

Recovering from a hip injury, Claire managed to complete the 26.2 mile feat in six hours 35 minutes alongside five colleagues from sister nurseries.

She said: “The atmosphere was incredible with over a million people lining the route; cheering us on and waving home-made signs.

“My favourite was ‘I just want to let you know how proud I am of you I am, even though I don’t know you’. I managed to pick myself up after that one.

She added: “The team spirit was amazing. We were all so proud to be there and running for such worthwhile causes.”