KEEPING up with the Joneses is difficult because the Jones family from Cwmbran are born to run.

Parents Angela and Nigel Jones, from Coed Eva, were married while running the London Marathon - and six-year-old daughter Ellie and 17-month-old son Arunn love running, too.

Angela, 35, a member of the Welsh cross-country team and former representative of the Great Britain triathlon team, said: "Ellie and Arunn were born into it really and started running as soon as they could walk.

"Ellie loves getting her gear on and going for a run and Arunn can do a few laps of the track."

Ellie, a pupil at Brookfield Primary School, loves cross country running: "The thing I really like is getting muddy," she said.

She and friend Hannah Grey, aged just three, were overall third in an under-11s cross-country competition with Griffithstown Harriers, competing against opponents from Chepstow Harriers, Lliswerry Runners, Islwyn Running Club, Fairwater Running Club, Risca Runners and Club 69 from Trefil.

Angela said: "The two of them run distances of between a mile and a mile-and-a-half which for their age is quite a lot."

Hannah's mother, Laura Grey, 37, from Henllys, said: "I run for Griffithstown Harriers and as soon as she could talk Hannah said she wanted to have a go at running." Little Arunn will compete in a race for very young runners in Guernsey at the end of the month.

*PICTURED: Hannah Grey, three, left and Ellie Jones, six, with Ellie's parents Angela and Nigel Jones and her brother Arunn, 17 months.