A SEA of pink swept across Basingstoke playing fields last night as thousands of women took part in the annual Race for Life.

United in their aim to beat cancer, participants walked, jogged or ran around Down Grange Sports Complex, in Pack Lane, in the 5k event.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Emotions were high as many people were running in memory of a friend or relative, displaying the name of lost loved ones on their race number.

While others took part in support of someone still fighting against cancer.

The women, many in fancy dress, took part in a warm-up before the race got underway, and they were cheered around the course by spectators lining the route.

Some tackled the 5k in groups, others in pairs or as individuals, and one woman even attempted the course on crutches.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Claire Spencer and her six-year-old daughter Elsie Instone decided to take part in the race attached to their dogs - a sport called canicross.

The mother and daughter completed the course in an impressive 28 minutes, alongside Elsie's Jack Russell Tinkerbell (pictured below) and Claire's kelpie Jack.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Claire, 37, from Oakley, said: "My little girl ran really well. She ran for our friend who has a brain tumour and that seemed to be in her mind all the time. It was her first 5k."

Elsie managed to raise £270 in sponsorship for Cancer Research UK.

Claire added: "Everyone was cheering us on and it was really uplifting. Everyone was there for a reason and no matter what shape or size, everyone did their best to get around."

See next Thursday's Gazette for more on the Basingstoke Race for Life.