A MONMOUTH woman hopes to reach a £10,000 fundraising goal for an army charity in memory of her frontline hero friend who died serving with a local regiment.

In April, Emma King, 31, is to run the London Marathon for the third successive year to add £3,000 to what she has already raised for The Soldiers’ Charity.

Her friend, Rifleman Jamie Gunn, was killed with two other soldiers on February 25 2009 when their Land Rover encountered a makeshift explosive device.

As it is nearly three years after his death, Ms King, 31, who has also been chosen as an Olympic torch bearer, feels it is important to keep his memory alive.

She said: "I wasn’t a close friend of his but what happened was so sad and I just wanted to give something back. I have grown close to Jamie’s sister Jessica."

So far, 40 per cent of what mortgage advisor Ms King, who runs 25 miles a week in training, has raised has been matched by her employer Barclays, and she says she is grateful for their support.

The captain of Monmouth netball club’s inspiration came from another friend Christian Williams who ran 21 races, one for every year of Rifleman Gunn’s life, in 2009-10.

On the anniversary of Rifleman Gunn’s death, his sister Jessica said they will have a quiet day with mum and dad Janet, 55 and Mervyn, 57, and will invite some of Jamie’s friends to their house.

Jessica said: "I think it’s really touching that the whole town remember my brother. It is really important he is part of Monmouth history."