Running mums Bella Roberts and Adelle Brenner capped a year of fundraisingby running the New York Marathon.

The couple flew the flag for Britain by running in matching Union Jack dresses.

For Mrs Roberts, 33, from Malmesbury, the race marks the end of a year of long distance races to raise £30,000 to build a medical centre for orphaned children in India, many of whom suffer from aids or cerebral palsy.

She ran half marathons in Gloucester, Chippenham and Cardiff.

Mother-of-two Mrs Brenner, 36, from Lea, has close friends in both the Army and RAF and was raising money for Help for Heroes.

Fundraiser Mrs Roberts, who has three children, heard of the Indian children’s plight after her husband became a trustee for the Kings World Trust.

She said: “The trust needed to raise money fast.

“I wanted to set myself a challenge and give people a reason to sponsor me.

“Although the training was hard, thinking about the children in India kept me going. They inspired me.”

And Mrs Roberts’ own children, Catherine, 12 and twins Miya and Luke, aged 9, also contributed.

Mrs Roberts said: “So many people from the local area gave so much money. I want to thank them all, their money is going a long way.

“And my own children gave up some of their pocket money to sponsor me which was really sweet of them.”

Mrs Roberts got in shape by pounding the streets around Milbourne, Startley and the Stroud Hills which she described as “killers”.

She said: “I think a lot of people got to know me from seeing me running around the streets.”

In April Mrs Roberts is off to Paris for more running.

She said: “I’m going to run the Paris marathon. It’s my competitive streak. I want to see if I can beat my time.”

For more information about the Kings World Trust visit www.kingschildren.org