Making a run for it!

Children began the event, which brought fund-raisers from across East Lancashire to Blackburn to help Cancer Research UK.

More than 130 other venues across the UK have helped the charity towards its target of £17.5million but local people's determination equalled the best efforts of others from throughout the country.

Walkers and runners, ranging in age from four to 75, lined the starting line near the pavilion and after a gruelling 5km ended up back where they started to raptures of applause, medals and, of course, water.

Vicky Hope, Race For Life organiser, said: "It's been a very hectic day but the weather's stayed good and we think everyone's enjoyed it. We made a few last minute alterations to the course because two football pitches we planned to use in the course were being dug up but it was sorted out quickly and everything's gone to plan."

Almost 1,000 spectators lined the course and the finish line to cheer in the competitors, most of which adorned back signs with names of people they had lost through cancer -- or people who had survived the disease.

Anna Matthews, 45, of Todmorden Road, Burnley, said: "I'm doing this for my mum who died eight years ago from the disease. If all this sponsor money goes towards finding a cure for such a terrible thing, then the whole country should get involved."

Liz Hargreaves, who lives in Harare, Zimbabwe, ran the race with her mother, Rita Gorman, who lives in Mellor.

Liz said: "It's a fantastic atmosphere and we want to do it for all the friends and family we know who are affected by cancer. I ran it in twenty-eight minutes last year so I'm hoping to do a little better this time. I like to do the race when I'm visiting my family each year."

Anne Ellwood, race council co-ordinator, saw her two children, Rebecca, 10 and Sarah, 8, compete in the race.

Paul Booth, Burn FM DJ, and Blackburn's Regency gym coach Gwen Sangster, whipped the crowd into a frenzy at the beginning and end of the race.

Gwen said: "It's such a fantastic atmosphere and if you shout for people coming in at the end it's amazing to see them put in that extra bit of effort."

Alison Arthington, 29, from Bamber Bridge and Cara Grimshaw, 29, from Leyland, dressed as Star Wars characters Princess Lea and Darth Vadar for the event.

Cara said: "I was in a team of about 22 people who teach at Peel Park school, Accrington. We've raised around £1,000 but I could only wear the mask for the last stretch because it was so hot."

Nine-year-old Kirsten Knight from Revidge Road, Revidge, came in at 30 minutes, beating her mum, Catherine, by a whopping ten minutes.

Kirsten said: "This was the first race I've done and it was loads of fun."

5k? It seemed more like a half-marathon

LANCASHIRE Evening Telegraph reporter HELEN PRIEST joined the Race For Life - and found it a struggle. But she did have the extra burden of having to carry a notebook and pen (that's her excuse anyway)...

THE sun was shining with a light breeze in the air - a super night to compete in a half-marathon.

I say half-marathon because there's no way on earth that race was 5km. My legs and my lungs were telling me to stop after what they believed must have been the required distance.

But alas, it turns out that they were deceiving me.

My preparation had lacked a certain amount of gusto throughout. I knew I should have done more when I couldn't make it half way around Entwistle Reservoir near Darwen last week.

My mother kindly pointed out on the phone that my 53-year-old (sorry Ness) colleague shouldn't be running faster than me. That pep talk is an example of why my mum will never became a fitness coach.

Just to highlight how stupid I actually am, I undertook a two-and-a-half day partying spree at the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. Stupid, stupid girl.

And can you imagine the trauma of realising I'd left my shorts at mum's in Oldham. My legs would be hot, but at least I wouldn't be showing them to the world. All that talk about new trainers, new shorts etc. Time flies when you try to avoid what's coming and then it finally creeps up on you like a Darwen Dasher in the dark.

So I think it was the afternoon pasta that spurred me on to running a time of around 35 minutes. I couldn't believe I did a semi-sprint finish -- must have been the prospect of a cheese pasty (my favourite, as readers of my column will know)!

Vanessa, my running mate, crossed the line five minutes earlier. Worringly, so too did a number of kids who were whipping past me like darts. I tried so hard to catch them but my notepad and pen must've taken at least five minutes off my time!.

But I've never felt such motivation to run and everywhere you looked you saw smiling faces.

I'm lucky enough not to have a close family member or friend who has died of cancer but for those out there who were running for mums, aunties, friends and sisters - you've done a wonderful thing and it was an absolute pleasure to be running (very slowly) alongside you!