HUNDREDS of youngsters put on their trainers for an annual event in Hartley Wintney that promotes exercise.

Around 250 people took part in the Hartley Wintney Fun Run, which took place on the playing fields around Greenfields Junior School.

The event, now in its ninth year, featured a series of runs of different distances, from 400metres for children in Reception and Year 1 classes, to a 2.4km course for 16 and 17-year-olds.

Other attractions included face-painting and a stall manned by the village’s tennis club, with a speed gun to measure the pace of people’s serves.

The organisers, who are all parents of children in the village, dressed up as the 118 men from the popular television advert to marshal the races.

One of them, Andy Shaw, said: “It went very well and it was really well attended.

“The objective is to engage children to get focused on health and well-being at an early age. It’s not just about competition, but it is about exercise for the fun of it.”

He added that the event raised £2,000, the majority of which will go towards sports and leisure activities in the village.

Last year, the run raised £400 for each of the village’s schools – Oakwood Infant School, Grey House School and Greenfields Junior School.

The organisers will decide on how to use this year’s money later in the year. Mr Shaw also thanked the other organisers – Dom Wake, Tom Marchiselli, Simon Shorey and Sally Hall.