This weekend, more than 40,000 runners joined together for the London Marathon 2018. 

It was officially the hottest on record, with temperatures getting up to 24.1C in St James’ Park, according to the Met Office. But, despite the soaring heat, it was a beautiful, heart-felt celebration of a day. 

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Cheering from the sidelines, it seemed like everyone had their own amazing reason for running — whether it was in memory of a loved one, or to raise money for a charity, or just to prove to themselves they really can run 26.2 miles.

We can’t namedrop everyone, but here are a few of the runners who have reminded us how brave and tough people can be.

1. Zach Washington-Young

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In 2012, Zach Washington-Young was in a coach crash when travelling back from Bestival in the Isle of Wight. He was paralysed from the waist down after being thrown through the windscreen in the crash, in which two of his friends were killed. 

Despite being told he would never walk again, Zach just became the first person ever to compete in the London marathon after suffering a total spinal cord break. 

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2. Kathrine Switzer 

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Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967, when women weren't allowed to compete in marathons. 

She entered the race using just her initials, and an official tried to remove her from the course during the race. An iconic photo shows the official being pushed aside, leaving Switzer free to finish the race. 

She wore the same number on Sunday, bib number 261, as she did during the Boston marathon.  

3. These firefighters

Two teams of London firefighters ran the marathon on Sunday, raising money to support those affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower.

The North Kensington red watch was the first crew on the scene of the fire in June 2017, and those running on Sunday were raising money for children who survived the fire, to help them access counselling and other support services.

The money will go to Kids on the Green, which is a volunteer organisation set up after the fire to support children impacted by the fire. They’ve raised nearly £50,000 already.

The Paddington red watch, which also fought the the fire at Grenfell Tower, has raised nearly £100,000 to help those affected, including families and firefighters. 

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4. Mo Farah 

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The four-time Olympic champion showed us exactly how it should be done, crossing the marathon finishing line in just two hours, six minutes, and 21 seconds to come in third place.

And be beat a 33-year-old British record in the process, previously set by Welsh athlete and former world marathon record holder Steve Jones. 

5. Maddy Warren 

Warren, from south London, just became the first woman on dialysis to complete the London Marathon in an extraordinary effort. 

She developed the autoimmune disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) when she was just 13, which caused her kidneys to fail, according to the Leamington Courier. Now 34, she now has to spend seven hours a day on dialysis. But that didn’t stop her. 

6. Nick Butter

For this endurance athlete from Bristol, the London marathon was just one stop on a global tour. That’s because Butter is on a mission to run a marathon in every country in the world in 550 days.

The London marathon was the first time he’s been back in the UK since launching his effort on Jan. 6. And he hopes to raise £250,000 for research into prostate cancer. 

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7. Katie Price 

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Model-turned-TV personality Katie Price had to drop out of the marathon less than halfway through — but has already managed to raise over £2,000 for the British Lung Foundation. 

Her mother Amy has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and Price tried to walk the 26.2 miles while dressed up a giant pair of lungs. 

While she didn’t make it to the finish line, her costume did thanks to this police officer. 

8. Joanne Kelly

Kelly was told 10 years ago that she had just six months to live, after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 22. 

But this weekend, on her 33rd birthday, she ran the marathon in an amazing display of fortitude. Kelly ran to raise money for Anthony Nolan, the blood cancer charity that saved her life when they were able to find her a donor for a stem cell transplant. 

She has already raised nearly £6,000 for the charity, at her JustGiving page. 

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Global Citizen campaigns to achieve the UN Global Goals to end extreme poverty by 2030. We think people are extraordinary, and everyone can play a part in driving positive change. You can join the movement by taking action with us here. 

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8 Incredible People Who Just Ran the London Marathon 2018

By Imogen Calderwood