Runners from around the Malmesbury area have pledged to raise thousands of pounds when they compete in Sunday's London Marathon.

Fifty-one-year-old mother, Janise Walker, who works for French engineering company De Fontaine UK, is running in her first marathon.

Mrs Walker, from Didmarton, has pledged to raise £1,400 for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf by completing the race.

Mrs Walker said she wanted to help the charity because she has a hearing problem herself.

She said: "I have been wanting to run in the marathon all my life and I thought I would be too old and decrepit.

"I want to help the Royal National Institute for the Deaf because I have a hearing problem myself. I have hearing aids in both ears and it means that socially in a pub atmosphere I have a problem with one-to-one conversations. Without a hearing aid I would drop out of conversations.

"I decided to run in September last year. My training began last October and I am really fired up and ready to go. You have to train for at least six months for the London Marathon and you really have to push yourself."

Motivating Mrs Walker along the way has been her daughter, Nina, who often cycles alongside her, while her son Jon has been a great source of encouragement.

Husband Steve has also enabled Mrs Walker to stick to her training schedule by cooking all the family's meals.

Summing up her fighting spirit ahead of the race, Mrs Walker said: "The last time I ran was ten years ago. But during my training I have never felt like giving up, even in the winter when it gets cold."

Another competitor determined to do her best is 18-year-old Sophie Baldwin, who will be competing alongside her friend and fellow Malmesbury School student, Emma Colison, also 18, from Reeds Farm in the town.

Miss Baldwin, from White Lion Park, is hoping to generate as much money as she can for Cancer

Research, after the disease killed her grandfather, Kenneth Baldwin, five years ago.

This is also her first marathon and to prepare for the big race, Miss Baldwin is already up to running 20 miles and is using a training programme

devised from a marathon magazine.

Speaking on behalf of her sister, who was training at the time, Fiona Baldwin, said: " I am really impressed with Sophie. I think it is really good she is going to race. I know she will do it well and in a quick time. Sophie has been training for about a year, and over the last five days before the race she has been running about 30

minutes a day."

Another local runner taking part in the gruelling race is 26-year-old

Debbie Jones from Little Somerford.

Miss Jones is spearheading a fundraising drive to help cerebral palsy sufferer Johnny Frost receive life-enhancing treatment.

Miss Jones, who belongs to

Chippenham Harriers Running Club, agreed to run for Mr Frost after hearing about his condition from her aunt, who is one of his carers.

She hopes to raise at least £450 to allow Mr Frost to have specialist treatment in Belgium.

With the pre-race excitement mounting, Miss Jones said: "I am excited and a little bit nervous about the race. I have already raised £50 and that will be a great spur and source of encouragement during the race."

The marathon will be the race of my life, as I have never run that distance before."