Former John Bentley pupil Mark Flay completed the New York marathon on Sunday, joining more than 50,000 athletes and running more than 26 miles in four hours and 49 minutes.

Mr Flay, 40, works at Capita Insurance in Swindon and flew to America by himself to complete the race after running the Paris marathon in April this year.

His parents Mike and Linda Flay, of Trinity Park, Calne, were unable to fly out with him but supported him by watching the marathon on their computer at home.

Mike said: “We were glued to it for about five hours trying to spot him, but they did concentrate on the actual winners.

“My other son, he managed to track him through using an app, so we were able to track him as he did the run. It was fantastic sitting there watching it.”

The New York Marathon returned after a one-year absence after the destruction caused by superstorm Sandy and attracted several celebrities, including Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson.

It starts on Staten Island and passes through all five of New York’s boroughs, taking in several famous bridges, from Willis Avenue Bridge to Madison Avenue Bridge.

Mr Flay said: “We were worried about him having to go to America because earlier this year there was the Boston problem, but we’re really proud.

“It takes some doing and he had been suffering with his knee for a couple of weeks beforehand and he was rather concerned that he wasn’t going to make it round.

“He’s only started running in the last couple of years, over the last four years at the most – he’s really got into it.”