The human race...

9:24am Monday 12th May 2008

Comments (4)   Have your say »

• Play Video

MEMORIES of lost loved ones lived on Sunday as 1,750 walkers and runners braved blistering conditions in Poole Park to provide hope for other cancer sufferers.

Overheated fundraisers, many in fancy dress, turned out to support this year's 5 km Cancer Research UK Race for Life, which is expected to raise £124,000 for the charity.

The sweltering heat and a delayed start after a coastguard helicopter had to make an emergency landing at nearby Whitecliff recreation ground added to the agony.

Carly Harrison, a teacher at Hill View School in Bournemouth, who was first past the finishing line in just 22 minutes, said: "We were wiped out before the race even started.

"The heat made the event much more difficult and I was struggling by the first kilometre even though I ran the Bath half marathon in March.

"But I'll still be back next year to do it all again. I was running in memory of my grandmother, who died from lung cancer 10 years ago."

Seven-year-old Isobel Warren, a pupil at Stanley Green First School, started the race, powering her way around Poole Park in memory of her grandmother Linda Warren.

Isobel first took part in Race for Life in 2006 with her much loved nan who had just been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and sadly died six weeks later.

This year's race was particularly poignant for the family as a bench has been placed in memory of Mrs Warren along the route.

Four-year-old Mia McClure took part in the race in support of her five-year-old cousin Louis who is fighting leukaemia, raising £525 in sponsorship.

Hannah White from Cancer Research UK said: "The response has been marvellous. There was such a demand for places that we are staging a second race in Poole Park on June 29.

"We were worried about the hot temperatures but there were lots of first-aiders on stand-by. It's been an incredible effort and we are set to match last year's £124,000 target."

• Two races will be staged in Bournemouth on June 22.

Click for full list of runners