SURVIVORS, fighters and fundraisers all joined together for a day of fun at Bolton Race for Life yesterday.

Over 600 racers of all ages turned up at Leverhulme Park to take part in the annual event.

Bolton Mayor Cllr Lynda Byrne started the race at 11am and participants took off, running, walking and dancing around the five kilometre course.

She said: "I'm really proud of the turn out, it's great to see so many people here raising money for such a good cause.

"I lost my mum to cancer a couple of months ago so it's a cause that's close my heart.

"People from all over have come to support it and the atmosphere is fabulous."

Many racers had made the effort with their outfits and had dressed in pink tutus.

Before the race as the runners warmed up people were asked to raise their hands if they knew someone who had been affected by cancer and everyone in the park raised their arm.

One person who raised her arm was 16-year-old Shania Webster from Farnworth who was running it for her grandmother Amadine who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February.

She said: "I'm running for my Granny because I didn’t realise how serious cancer was until one of my own got it.

"The hospital was telling me about the race and how I could raise money so I decided to get involved."

Amadine, 51, said she was proud of her granddaughter, she added: "It's nice to see so many people out to support the event and we really are proud of her for doing it.

"When you come to these things you realise just how many people are affected by cancer, when you're going through it you think that you're the only one but then you come here and see all these people and it’s nice to know you’re not the only one."

Also joining the crowds of runners was The Pink Possy made up of team leader Deborah Finney, 51, Tracey Palmer, 50, Holly Baynes, 17, Kathryn Baynes, 50, and Kathryn Ellis, 31.

The group were running for Deborah as she is a cancer survivor having had lung cancer four years ago.

She said: "It's a horrible illness and this event is nice because everyone is so happy, there's no one here crying about it, it's uplifting and everyone supports each other.

"I lost my partner Steven to kidney cancer two years ago and that's when we started doing it."

Also running were friends Cheryl Williams, 44, and Wendy Horn with their sons Jake and Finlay.

Mrs Williams was running in memory of her dad Keith Williams had lung cancer.

She said: "We have done it before and we absolutely loved it. It makes you feel quite humbled when you see the people who are doing it.

"There was a woman running in front of us last year who was clearly fighting cancer and you just think well if she can do it then we can definitely make the effort and do it."

"Cancer we are coming for you" was shouted out over the loud speaker system as the runners took their place at the starting line.

Cancer Research UK events manager, Emma Rowlandson, said: "It's a great event and it’s got a real community feel.

"It's brilliant that people of all ages and family and friends have turned up to support."

There were no prizes handed out for first place as the event is non-competitive, and the priority was raising funds for the work of the charity and supporting people affected by cancer.

It is estimated that over £32,000 was raised by fundraisers at the event.

Each year Race for Life in the North West and North Wales combined raises £3.2 million towards live-saving research.