Paralysed woman completes London Marathon after 16 days

Paralysed Claire Lomas has completed the London Marathon in a bionic suit 16 days after she began the race.

The 32-year-old was paralysed from the chest down following a horse riding accident five years ago, but with the aid of the limited movement of the suit she was able to negotiate the course at a rate of a couple of miles a day.

She crossed the line after 26.2 miles in front of a crowd of onlookers including her husband and 13-month-old daughter, and in the process became the first person in history to complete the marathon using a bionic ReWalk suit.

The suit, designed with motion sensors and computer mechanics and costing around £43,000, has enabled those suffering from paralysis of the lower body to walk and even climb stairs.

Lomas was the last of the 36,000 participants who set off on April 22 to finish the marathon, but her incredible story and feat have prompted some generous donations to her chosen charity.

Running for Spinal Research, Lomas has raised more than £90,000.

You can make a donation on her Just Giving page here.

And to see the scale of Claire's achievement, see the below video of her training for the London Marathon.