A SPLASH of colour illuminated East Lancashire as the first colour run came to town.

The Blackburn Colour Run, the first event of it’s kind, was staged on Saturday and saw more than 60 people tackle the 5k route.

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Starting at 10am in Manner Sutton Street, the event saw runners from all over East Lancashire showered with multi-hued powders as they passed the onlooking crowds.

The run was billed as a major part of the Blackburn Canal Festival which drew thousands to the town over the weekend.

Spokesman Graham Vernon said: “We had 60 people taking part and it was absolutely fantastic.

“Everyone I spoke to said it was the best colour run they had attended and around a quarter took part in the Manchester event a few weeks ago, so that is quite an accolade.

“They were really impressed with the way the event was run.

“Around half the people taking part were from Blackburn but the other half were from all over the North West - we had quite a few from Burnley and Bolton as well.

“It’s the first time a colour run has been held on land belonging to the Canal and Rivers Trust, out of the 2,000 miles of waterway they manage, and they were pleased with how it went.”

The existence of the race was thrown into doubt earlier this month when organisers Mad Bull Events pulled out. However the event was saved at the 11th hour when the people behind the canal festival stepped in.

Spectator Molly Smith, 22, said: “I think that it’s amazing that this kind of event was staged in Blackburn.”