Combining her passion for running with the hope of finding a cure for diabetes, a local business owner set out to not only run a marathon in Rome, but to raise a minimum of $6,100 for diabetes research.

Deidra Cook accomplished this goal in March with her sister Audra, who also raised $6,100.

The two have been running for the last 10 years and when Deidra's six-year-old rottweiler Ruckus died from diabetes she wanted to help raise awareness and funds for research.

It was when Ruckus died that she realized the seriousness of this disease, as her grandma also has diabetes.

"By joining Team Diabetes, two aspects of my life - running and diabetes - have come together in a unique way," wrote Deidra, owner of Sky Day Spa, in one of her fundraising letters.

"This time I will not only be running for myself, but in memory of Ruckus and for the hope of a cure."

She and Audra trained for 18 weeks doing a mix of hill, interval and long distance running. The blast of winter that arrived in late January and continued through February was "brutal," said Deidra.

"It took the fun out of it," added Audra.

Team Diabetes Canada, with 80 participants, ran The City of Rome Marathon on March 18 and passed many famous attractions such as the Coliseum and Forum, Saint Peter's Square and Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Trevi Fountain.

While the sisters had hoped to come in with a time under four hours, they arrived at the finish line 42 kilometres later just shy of five hours.

Personal injuries and beautiful photo opportunities slowed the avid runners. In a crowd of 16,000 runners the two lost count of where they placed.

Heading down the last stretch of the race, runners passed the Coliseum, which was emotional said Audra, not only because of it's historic significance but also because she was nearing the end of a run to help a good cause.

While the sisters aren't sure if they'll do this same race again, because of the amount of commitment required with fundraising and training, they may look into trying something different.

"It's a fulfilling experience," said Audra, who wants to encourage others to try something similar.

Audra and Deidra each raised nearly $8,000, which covered the cost of the trip and funds for diabetes research.