IT was a pretty muddy experience for the 1,200 women who took part in a race to beat breast cancer.

Baiter Park in Poole was a sea of pink as females from across the south gathered to raise funds and awareness of work by Cancer Research UK through the increasingly popular Pretty Muddy event.

Women clambered over a-frames, slid down inflatable muddy slides and slithered underneath cargo nets relishing the challenges as they went.

And the park will be in the pink once again today when participants in the Race4Life gather in the fight against cancer.

Organiser Georgina Horne said they had six waves of participants in all with the 1,200 women spread across them.

"It is hot," she told the Daily Echo on the day. "Everyone is hot but everyone is loving it. We're on the seafront and it's just a beautiful location. People want to get wet and muddy on the obstacles."

Miss Horne said it had proved to be a really popular event for the whole family - even though men are not allowed to take part.

She said: "People are sitting and having picnics and enjoying the sunshine.

"It's my first Pretty Muddy and it's the first time I have seen it in action. People are here all day and it's just so nice to see something so family orientated."

Participants Chelsea Cobb, 25, Jade Cobb, 24, Hannah Docking, 26, and Claire Beedie, 31, were running in memory of their late grandmother Irene Oggelsby who passed away nearly 30 years ago from breast cancer at just 46-years-old.

Jade Cobb said: "It's more fun this way, it's not just a boring run. We just support each other and have fun."

Speaking of their nan, Chelsea said: "We miss her and we love her and we're doing this for her."

Claire added: "I would hope that, with all this going on, this is helping people survive it."