London Marathon 2012: the heroes aiming to achieve a feat greater than 26 miles "I set myself quite a big goal, but having this to focus on has helped," said Miss Lomas. When I first started wearing the suit a few months ago I could only take a couple of steps at a time. I was incredibly slow and it was frustrating. I have been getting quicker and able to go for longer without a rest with each training session. In her most recent training session, Miss Lomas managed to do two thirds of a mile in just over 60 minutes. In February she had barely been able to walk a few steps in the suit. There are more than 55,000 steps in a marathon. Even with the aid of her new robotic legs, Miss Lomas expects to take more than two weeks to complete the marathon course. Under news rules introduced this year by the Virgin London Marathon, it means she will not qualify for an official finish time or a medal. Organisers introduced the new rule, that the race will officially finish at 6pm on Sunday, to reduce the more eccentric marathon attempts following the exploits of Lloyd Scott, who took five days to run the marathon in 2002 while wearing a 130lb diving suit. Despite missing out on an official time, Miss Lomas is undaunted. For her the real achievement will be proving that she does not intend to be held back by her disability. Miss Lomas, from near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was injured after being knocked from her horse during a competition in 2006. At the time she was one of the country's leading event riders and she was training to be a chiropractor. The accident fractured her back in two places and left her in a wheelchair for the past five years. Despite being told by doctors she would never walk again, Miss Lomas has been determined to prove them wrong. In January she was offered the chance to begin training with a new bionic walking suit - her "Wrong Trousers" as she calls them. The battery powered exoskeleton, which costs around £43,000, helps to support her legs and moves them as she shifts her weight from leg to leg. Miss Lomas, who is raising money for Spinal Research, has already attracted some high profile supporters, with Matthew Pinsent, the Olympic gold medal winning rower, and Dave Vitty, the co-star on Radio One's breakfast show with Chris Moyles, both having agreed to join her. She will be cheered on by her husband Dan Spincer, 37, and their daughter Maisie, one. Miss Lomas said: "Over the past five years I have moaned a lot about being stuck in my chair but I think by the end of the marathon course I will be desperate for a sit down again." Lance Bombardier Long's drive to beat the odds is equally strong. He was injured while on patrol in Sangin, southern Afghanistan, with 4/73 Special Observation Post Battery, part of the 5th Regiment of the Royal Artillery. One of his unit accidentally triggered an improvised explosive device, or IED. His friend Sam Robinson, 31, was killed in the explosion while L/Bdr Long immediately lost his left eye. His right eye was later removed as shrapnel had severed the optic nerve. "I know I am blind and because of that it is easy to end up feeling quite useless," said L/Bdr Long, who lives in Greenwich, south East London with his wife Emmeline. I know this is going to be a challenge that I am not going to shy away from just because I am blind. It is something I need to overcome for myself. L/Bdr Long began training in November with his best friend Lance Corporal Terry Desmond, who will be his guide during the race. By giving his friend directions and using a piece of tape tied around L/Bdr Long's wrist, they will negotiate the crowds and the terrain. L/Bdr Long, who is raising money for Blind Veterans UK, said: "Terry has done a marathon before, but this will be my first. I actually hate running, and when I was injured I was actually grateful I wouldn't have to do PT anymore. Unfortunately it meant the pounds started piling on. Blind Veterans UK really changed my life and they help so many people, so I am honoured to be doing this for them. The marathon has given me a lot of focus. At first it was difficult as we had to build up a lot of trust so I could just concentrate on running and let Terry do all the navigation. I had to get over the little voices in the back of my head telling me I was about to run into a wall. This has been fantastic for my personal fitness, but also for my mental wellbeing. He hopes to complete the marathon in around four and a half hours, but perhaps his greatest challenge will come after he finishes. "My wife is pregnant with our first son and he is due in the next couple of weeks," added L/Bdr Long. I'm just hoping he doesn't decide to come while I am running. Hannah Campbell, 27, who lost her left leg after being hit in a mortar attack while serving in Iraq in 2007, is another veteran who is hoping to complete the marathon on Sunday. After suffering multiple injuries, doctors spent three years trying to save her foot in 19 operation. In 2010 Corporal Campbell chose to have her leg amputated rather than face the rest of her life in pain. After being fitted with a prosthetic running blade similar to those used by sprinter Oscar Pistorius, she is aiming to raise money for BLESMA, the charity for limbless veterans in the marathon. She said: "I never thought I would walk let along run again. It seemed an impossible dream that I would ever participate in a marathon, but here I am.