Looking back at Race For Life 2010 (From Daily Echo)
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A sea of pink as Southampton women Race for Life on the Common
10:02am Monday 12th July 2010 in News
7,600 women Race for Life Buy this photo »
SOUTHAMPTON Common was transformed into a sea of pink yesterday as 7,500 women raced for life.
Some brave entrants were battling cancer, others were survivors, while thousands ran in memory of loved ones they had lost to the disease in the city’s popular annual Race for Life event.
They all came together with the common goal of raising £500,000 for Cancer Research UK to fight the disease in one of the charity’s biggest events of the year.
There were babies and toddlers pushed around the course in their pushchairs as well as a 90-year-old who rose from her wheelchair to complete the final yards of the 5km course in a tribute to her late daughter.
Two Mr Blobbies were spotted making their way down The Avenue while a host of women riding inflatable horses galloped joyously over the finish line.
There were parrots, morris dancers, cheeky girls, Hawaiian hula girls – and more pink feather boas, whistles, wigs, boppers, dummies, cowboy hats and tutus than you can imagine.
Cancer Research UK spokeswoman Helen Johnstone told the Daily Echo: “The more time goes on, the more women think of unusual things to wear! They really go for it and make such an effort. How anyone managed to cover 5K dressed as Mr Blobby, I will never know!
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“Some of the women taking part are actually having treatment for cancer and they will not give in, they go and cross that finish line. Everyone finds it truly inspiring.
“The Southampton race was a great success in every way, as always.”
Entrants gathered at the start early to enjoy the sunshine – and were led through a mass warm-up to the sounds of some disco classics.
Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician and director of their Southampton Clinical Centre, and his team of researchers led the snaking queue of entrants to the beginning of the course, before they got under starter’s orders.
Some walked, some jogged and some ran around the Common with the first across the finishing line in just 19 minutes.
Groups of entrants stayed on for hours afterwards soaking up the sunshine and enjoying impromptu picnics as volunteers cleared up around them.
In its 16-year history, Race for Life has become the biggest female-only charity event in the UK.
