MOST new mothers would get respect for even attempting to run a half marathon six months after giving birth.

Anna Jenkins upped the stakes at the weekend by attempting to break the world record for running a half marathon while pushing a baby in a pram.

Not only did she beat 80 per cent of the 450 runners in Sunday's White Horse Half Marathon in the Vale of White Horse, she finished within two minutes of the record.

And, she said, her six-month-old son Edward, who weighs 10kg, had a lovely time on the 13-mile jaunt around Grove, Hanney and Charney Bassett.

Mrs Jenkins, 35, who lives in Warborough, near Wallingford, with her husband Charlie, said: "Edward was so chilled – he slept most of the way.

"I brought his favourite dragonfly toy but he didn't even notice it – he was watching the other runners.

"One runner kept me company for a bit and offered to help push but I thought that might disqualify me so I had to say 'no'."

She thanked pram manufacturers Bugaboo who loaned her a special running buggy for Sunday's race which she said was "like driving a Ferrari".

Mrs Jenkins was attempting to beat the 1hr 30m 51secs record for a half-marathon with a baby and buggy set in Michigan, USA in September 2001.

Things went well to start with, she said, but in the second half of the run she came up against a wind pushing her in the wrong directions.

"When I passed 10 miles, I knew I could probably do it if I pushed myself really hard," she said, "but the wind was so in my face.

"I was in such a world of pain for the last three miles."

She crossed the finish line at 1hr 32m 30secs – less than two minutes over the world record.

The professional sports physiotherapist, who runs her business in Oxford, said she was "gutted" to come so close and miss out, and admitted the first thing she did on getting home was search for the next flat-ground half marathon she could try to beat the record at.

In the meantime she has another challenge to keep her busy – running this year's London Marathon.

Mrs Jenkins signed up to run this year's marathon last year to raise money for Bowel and Cancer Research in honour of her dad Martin Reid, who found out in December his bowel cancer has returned after three years.

Having previously represented Great Britain at international triathlon events, Mrs Jenkins said she wanted to set herself a challenge to get fit again after having a baby.

After deciding to raise money for Bowel and Cancer Research she set herself a target of £2,000.

She has already raised £7,000, partly thanks to the publicity from her buggy record attempt, but is still collecting donations on her fundraising web page.

Donate online at virginmoneygiving.com/AnnaEJenkins