Two married couples are among the Hercules Wimbledon entry for the Virgin London Marathon which is being staged from from Greenwich to The Mall on Sunday.

Claire Grima, who missed last year's race to have a baby son Luca will be racing with husband David while Dave Clarke, three times English cross country champion three decades ago, runs alongside wife Francesca.

Claire Grima, who holds the Hercules Wimbledon women‘s record, will be running in the London for the fifth time. She made her debut in 2004, finishing 204th in the women's race. In 2009 she was 14th in a club record time of two hours 52 minutes 56 seconds. David Grima has only run the London once before in 2009 when he was 1635th in 3:10:56.

Francesca Clarke will be racing in London for the third time after clocking 3:13:41 to finish 17th in the women's veteran over 35 category in 2008. Husband David, who won the Stockholm marathon in 1989 in 2:13:34, the current Hercules Wimbledon club record for the event, made his London debut running with his wife in 2008. He clocked 2:45:45 last year when he was fifth in the men's veterans over 50 category.

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner taking part in Sunday's race will be Dennis Williams, 65, who took part in the first London marathon back in 1981 and has contested all but one of the 29 races staged since then having been forced to miss one year due to injury. Another Hercules Wimbledon pensioner in Sunday's field will be Maurice Sharp, also 65, who has a best marathon time of 2:30:57 set at Harlow in 1994. Sharp ran in the inaugural London race back in 1981 and Sunday will be his eighth appearance in the London event, his last being back in 1993 when he clocked his best London time of 2:34:12. It will be his first marathon since 1999 in Havana, Cuba.

Mike Halman, who clocked a lifetime best of 2:29:50 in last year's London is racing again with over 40 veteran Peter Lee, who clocked his best marathon time of 2:46:07 in last year's London, also racing again.

Zoe Pike, who clocked a personal best 2:56:25 in finishing 24th in the women's race in 2009 will be contesting London for the eighth time in nine years, returning to the event after missing last year's race. Debbie Noel returns after making her London marathon debut last year. Zoe Phillips who is also running in London, had her final outing before the 26-plus challenge by winning the women's event at the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday in a personal best time of 20:15.

Several Hercules Wimbledon youngsters will also be in action in the Virgin London mini-marathon race over the final three miles of the full marathon course, starting at Old Billingsgate. Cassian Hyde will be running for Richmond, Tim Livingstone for Wandsworth, Elliot Laville, Joe Clark and Rebecca Stone for Merton.

Clark warmed up for the mini-marathon by winning the boys under 15 race in the final East Surrey League meeting of the season at Ewell Court last Thursday. Stone had her final outing before toeing the line at Old Billingsgate by taking second place in the women's event in the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday. Wimbledon * Hercules Wimbledon's track and field training sessions take place at Wimbledon Park athletics stadium on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 6.30pm and Sunday morning at 10.30am. Further details from coaching coordinator Maurice Sharp on 020 8337 8707.

*Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club hold mid-week road running training sessions for marathon, cross country and road runners from Lauriston Cottage, 6a Southside, Wimbledon Common, at the junction with Lauriston Road, every Wednesday evening from 7pm. Contact Pete Mulholland on 020 8761 4308 for more details.