Hundreds of fundraisers get on their marks for Walsall Race For Life

Held at Walsall Arboretum, the event saw three different races, including a 10k, 5k and 3k, with the total raised by those taking part reaching £29,000.

The weather held up well, with skies clearing at 9.30am as around 200 runners and walkers set off for the first race of the day – the 10k.

Later in the day, around 600 participants enjoyed the leafy scenery of the arboretum during the 5k and 3k runs.

Before the races, groups were invited to warm up together, enjoying a small dance session ahead of setting out.

The Walsall 10k course saw a double lap which ran along the many paths through the Victorian part of the park.

The course then followed the perimeter of the Hatherton Lake, passing the bandstand, visitor centre and the new play area.

Bev Ramsell, 54, from Aldridge and Emma Matthews, 34, from Aldridge were both taking part in the 10k.

Bev said: "My father died of cancer and one of my good friends also died of cancer.

"My good friend Catherine is fighting bowel and liver cancer at the moment, so she is my inspiration to do this."

They had been preparing for a couple of months by taking part in park runs and raised more than £400.

Also in attendance was Riley Piesse-Mills, who lives in Plymouth but works in Lichfield.

He was inspired to take part in the run after his mother-in-law, Lynda Warterfield, passed away four and a half weeks ago from cancer.

He said: "I signed up for the run seven weeks ago and have been doing a few 5k and 10k runs in preparation.

"I have raised £225 so far and I am hoping to raise more, my aim is to do the run in under an hour."

The event was the first in a series across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, with Weston Park hosting a Pretty Muddy event on Saturday, May 21.

The popular events bring thousands of people to parks and open spaces across the region helping to raise funds to continue vital research into cancer treatment.

Joy Beeley, Sophie Newton, Julie Newton, Darren Newton, and Bethany Newton came as a team from Bloxwich to tackle the 10k race and raised £625 between them.

Julie said: "My father-in-law passed away from cancer nearly nine years ago and my mom was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in December 2020.

"We started treatment at Walsall Manor last January, and she finished her treatment in May.

"She was a bit rough for a time, but the treatment has extended her life and she is doing well."

Figures released by the NHS show that, every year, around 34,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the West Midlands region and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.

A 5k event will take place at West Park in Wolverhampton on Sunday, June 12, while a 3k and 5k event will be held at Himley Hall in Dudley on Sunday, July 3.

Finally, Sandwell Valley Country Park will be the setting for a 5k Pretty Muddy event on Saturday, June 25.

To enter and to find out more people are encouraged to visit raceforlife.org