FIVE record-breaking sisters vowed to hang up their trainers for good after this year's sterling efforts in the London Marathon.

"We've said that on the last two occasions, as well," said Val Lewis from Abergavenny, the second youngest of the remarkable Mason sisters who have raised £10,000 for leukaemia and asthma charities.

The super fit siblings power walked three London marathons, this year as well as 2002 and 2003.

"On the last two we all crossed the line together but this year I went ahead with Sandra and we finished in around six and a half hours," said Mrs Lewis, 57, of Union Road.

The five sisters - Val Lewis, Sandra Hubbard, 53, Denise Wilson, 67, Frederica Maguire, 66 and Audrey Kenniford, 62 - hold the record for the first group of siblings to complete the London Marathon.

While Mrs Lewis is Gwent-based, her sisters live in the Pembrokeshire area.

This year, to mark the event's Silver Jubilee, they wore matching silver outfits complete with crowns as well as capes bearing the Welsh colours.

"We decided to do something positive when we lost both our parents because of cancer 20 years ago," said Mrs Lewis, who took part in her first marathon in 1988.

She is the marathon veteran of the group, having completed seven.

An added inspiration behind the fundraising was Mrs Lewis' grandson, Alexander, who is asthmatic.

"So far our total is £10,000 but we haven't got to the final figure yet so it could be more," she said.

"The money will be split between Children With Leukaemia and Asthma UK.

"We were a lot warmer than we expected - we were expecting drizzle down there.

"The atmosphere was perhaps not as good as we would have hoped with it being the 25th anniversary. It has been better but we had a great time."

Newport-based fitness fanatic Andrew Murphy was taking a well-earned break after his marathon efforts.

The 23-year-old, who works as a recruitment consultant at the Celtic Springs business park, ran the Paris marathon on April 10 followed by the London marathon a week later.

And in the process he has raised £1,500 for the NSPCC Cymru/Wales Full Stop Appeal.

"I'm feeling it a bit today so I'm just taking time to relax before I have to go back to work," he said. I was very pleased with the times - 3h 45min in London and 3h 37min in Paris.

"I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone at Acorn Recruitment who have sponsored and supported me. They've been absolutely brilliant."

Undy dad Martin Probert broke through the pain barrier to complete the course. The 39-year-old warehouse manager at Tesco in Magor was hoping to raise £3,000 for Bliss, a charity for premature babies.

It's an issue close to his own heart.

He smashed his target but, as he told the Argus, he had to fight all the way.

He said: "I had a lot of problems with my left knee after about seven miles. It was terrible. But I still finished in 4h 34min.

"I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to crack four hours but I'll be back next year."

Mr Probert chose the charity after seeing the work carried out for premature babies when his daughter was born six weeks early last year.

"I don't know what the final figure is that I've raised but I know it's a lot more than £3,000 - thanks to everyone who supported me," he said.