Two school friends from Epsom are starting to struggle as they run across France to take part in the Paris marathon on Sunday.

Lloyd Hurrell and Simeon Bates, 24, who met in the sixth form at Blenheim School in Epsom, reached Gisors last night after jogging out of London on Monday.

The pair decided to run 277 miles to Paris and take part in the marathon in aid of Save the Children and an orphanage in south Indian near a school where Mr Bates worked until June.

The men spent Monday night in a barn in East Sussex, Tuesday night on the ferry from Newhaven port to Dieppe and Wednesday night in a tent in Forge-Les-Eaux.

Mr Bates' mother Pamela, who spoke to her son by phone last night, said they planned to sleep in Gisors after running 30 miles yesterday despite suffering from blisters.

Ms Bates said: "They are both well and encouraged by some renewed energy today after more sleep last night.

"They have another long, 55kms (34 mile), stretch tomorrow to get to Foret Domaniale de Saint-Germain-en-Laye."

She said her son and his friend could sometimes run for a long time without finding anywhere to buy food, adding: "He had to knock on a door to get some water."

The pair have been training since August last year, including running with Epsom and Ewell Harriers and taking part in a local parkrun each Saturday.