Superstorm Sandy dashed the hopes of 3 Yorks commander Zac Stenning and wife Sarah who were planning to run the New York Marathon for a forces charity.

Lt Col Stenning, the commander of the 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, based in Warminster, was planning to run last Sunday in aid of the British Limbless Ex-servicemen’s Association, just days after returning from a six-month Afghanistan tour.

The storm forced the cancellation of their flights and the race, so the couple are now planning to run the same distance as the marathon, but within the UK.

Mrs Stenning said they would run the distance in the next month, probably from Warminster towards Salis-bury, with a support vehicle.

She said: “We aim to justify the sponsorship already given and to maximise further sponsorship.”

The couple were to be joined by 3 Yorks Captain Ibrar Ali, who lost an arm serving in Iraq in 2007. He was able to fly to the US and complete the distance with two friends.