Woman runs London Marathon with broken leg

Angie Hopson was spurred on by another runner called Angie

A woman has completed the London Marathon with a broken leg.

Angie Hopson from Shropshire suffered what she thought was a muscle strain during training, but the pain became much worse during the race.

She still managed to complete the 26.2 mi (42 km) course in just over six hours raising money for Parkinsons UK and in memory of her mother.

After attending a minor injuries unit the following day she was told her leg was broken.

Angie Hopson said she "power walked" after the pain in her leg became too bad to run

She said the pain began straight away but was mild so she felt she could carry on but by mile six it was "excruciating" and she briefly stopped.

But she was determined to get round so carried on, trying to power walk as best she could.

"Quite strangely at about mile nine...a lady in front of me, she could see I was limping and I'd got my name on my top for the charity I was running for.

"She said 'Angie? I am an Angie as well, would you like me to walk with you?' and she accompanied me the whole way, I think without her beside me it would have been very easy to stop."

Angie Hopson said she was told on Monday, after the race, her leg was broken

After going to a minor injuries unit on Monday she "went into shock" when she was told her leg was broken.

Ms Hopson does not know how the break, which is on her fibula midway between her knee and ankle, happened, but believes it could be the strain of training.

She is now using crutches and has been given a rough timeline of three months until she can start running again.

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The 26.2-mile race returned to London for its first full-scale staging in over two years, following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 80,000 runners took part in person and virtually.

In total, Ms Hopson said, she has raised almost £3,200 for charity.