It was a day of fundraising, fun and also great poignancy as nearly 3,000 women descended on York Racecourse for this year's York Race For Life.

Knavesmire was bathed in glorious sunshine yesterday for what was one of the biggest ever mass participation events held in the city and which attracted 1,000 more entrants than last year.

Organised by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, York Race For Life was one of a series of 5km walks and runs for women of all ages organised around the country to raise money for pioneering research into cancers that affect women.

Young children ran or walked the course alongside mums, sisters, grandmothers or aunties, while teams from work and groups of friends also took up the challenge.

Many wore pink cards on their backs on which were written names of loved ones who had died from cancer and in whose memories the runners or walkers were taking part.

Some simply said 'mum' or 'dad' or 'granny', while others were changed to say 'in celebration of life'.

Sisters Heather Bulmer, Mandy Neal and Liz Charman were taking part in memory of their father George Willoughby and wore outrageously-coloured wigs for occasional.

Said Heather: "We're here for the fun of it, but it is very emotional."

Liz added: "It's all about the community together raising money."

Thirteen members of the St John's College netball team also took part, having already raised more than £1,000 for breast cancer charities prior to the event.

One of their number, Jemma Young, 20, said: "We've been supporting breast cancer for the last year. It's touched a lot of people in the club."

Also taking part was Evening Press journalist Maxine Gordon, 32, who said it was a very poignant day for those taking part, particularly for those who had lost a loved one to cancer.

"It's a fantastic event which allows women to do things together to help other women," she said.

"Lots of women are doing this for personal reasons and it is very poignant for them."

Prior to the race starting, all those involved took part in a mass warm-up session, while Shania Twain's Man I Feel Like A Woman boomed out from the large sound system which had been rigged up.

The women were led off in the race itself by former Olympic runner Angela Tooby-Smith, a teacher at St Peter's School, in Clifton, and urged on by the song Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves.

At the end of it all, everyone who had taken part trudged home, tired, but happy, and with a large medal around their necks to mark the day's achievements.

Updated: 09:34 Monday, May 21, 2001