West Park turned pink as Race For Life returns - with video and pictures

A sea of pink washed over the city park as fundraisers arrived to take part in the Race For Life event and raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Donna Downing, 46, from Wordsley, Stourbridge, was cheering on her daughter Hannah Turton, 17, and friend Millie Coldicott, 17, who were running in memory of her step-father Wayne Hackeson.

WATCH: Race For Life raises £60,000

Mr Hackeson, otherwise known as ‘Acki’, died on June 4 after being diagnosed with a form of Sarcoma 15 weeks ago.

Finn Hackeson, 12, Wayne’s son, also came to cheer on his step-sister Hannah.

Donna said she was ‘immensely proud’ of her daughter Hannah – who had managed to raise more than £2,000 in the build up to the event.

She said: “It’s amazing. I’m so immensely proud. We are all devastated. It is still all really raw what has happened and what has been achieved.

"Hopefully we can raise all this money for awareness into the rare cancers that are still taking and destroying people’s lives.

“I think it [the turnout] just goes to show this awful disease affects absolutely everybody and we keep doing the research.

“We have got to keep going, we have got to get as much information and save as many people as possible.

“Wayne was amazing. I was very lucky. He was loved by everybody.”

Those taking part ran or walked a 5km double lap course around West Park dressed in pink wigs, shirts, and skirts.

Another of those tackling the route, Sue Webb, from Wolverhampton, was running to support her brother-in-law Dave Cooper who is battling bowel cancer.

The 59-year-old said: “This is my fifth year. I have raised around £175. I am running for my brother-in-law who has been diagnosed for about four years.”

Cancer Research event manager, Kirsten Shore, 29, said that more than 1,000 ladies took part in the event over the weekend.

She said: “All the ladies here have raised more than £60,000 which is just incredible. We simply could not do what we do without them.

“It is the first time we have had the event on a Sunday, so we are really pleased to see such a fantastic response to all the ladies of Wolverhampton.”

Race for Life will take place at Himley Hall on July 8 and Pretty Muddy events will be held at Sandwell Valley Country Park on September 29.

To enter Race for Life visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.