Three members of the Cooper family, which is closely involved with Marl-borough Junior Athletics, took part in the Rome Marathon.

Mum Mandy walked the course, which started and finished at the Coliseum, dad Richard ran his first ever marathon and daughter Rosie, 22, the former Wilt-shire middle distance runner, also ran the 26-mile course around the Italian capital.

Mrs Cooper, 54, who lives in Hyde Lane, Marlborough, with her husband Richard, was asked to take part by her friend Fiz Langham who she had met while on holiday in Greece last year.

They both covered the course fit walking, a fast walking speed also known as power walking, and mother-of-four Mrs Cooper, who was raising money for the World Wildlife Fund, finished in six hours.

The course took the runners and walkers past some of Rome’s major tourist attractions and Mrs Mangham said: “We thought it would be a nice place to go to and it’s easier to get into than the London Marathon.”

Mrs Cooper, who said she hoped to have raised “a few hundred pounds” for the WWF, said she was particularly proud of her daughter Rosie who finished in 3.22.

Rosie, who is in her final year at Loughborough University studying psychology, was formerly a member of Marlborough junior athletics club which was started by her father who continues to be a coach.

She was one of Wiltshire’s top girl middle distance runners and her mother said: “She enjoyed it so much in Rome that she is thinking of taking up running again.”

Although it was the first marathon for Richard and Rosie Cooper, Mrs Cooper, who worked as a BBC production assistant and researcher before bringing up her family, said she had run one marathon “many years ago”.