WOMEN from across the region flocked to Towneley Park to run the first ever Race for Life in Burnley for cancer research.

Glorious weather greeted 1,200 runners as they took to the starting line to raise around £55,000 for charity.

And thousands more turned up to cheer them on in a carnival atmosphere as they tackled the 5km course in support of Cancer Research UK. Some ran in fancy dress while others took a family stroll around the course.

More than 425,000 across the country are expected to take part in the "Race for Life" nationally raising a staggering £23million.

Organisers are already planning a repeat in Burnley next year.

Many of the runners, young and old, had been inspired to take part by personal tragedies and wore the names of lost loved ones on their backs.

The importance of the event was underlined by a minute's silence shortly before the start, in memory of those that had lost their lives to the disease.

Race organiser Katie Birkett hailed the day a big success.

She said: "To say it was the first event for Burnley, it was brilliant.

"It was a beautiful day but it's a race for life and whether rain or thunder, the women would still be there to take part.

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Participants came from as far afield as the Lake District.

Haslingden company Smith's Medicals had 46 runners taking part, expecting to raise thousand of pounds, with £500 donated from their bosses.

One of their runners, Sue Dunn, said: "I think it's a good cause. There's been a few illnesses at work.

"It's a gorgeous day and a good turnout."

Sue Holt, Julie O'Hara, Karen Windale, Angela Hahn, Wendy Arnold and ten-year-old Tilly Dixon were among the team.

Nicola Nuttall, 35, from Clarke Street, Barrowford, raised about £100 in memory of her aunts Pam and Valerie.

She said: "I have done it for the past six years but this is the first one nearby.

"It's one of the best I have been to, really well organised and it's brilliant so many people are doing it."

Friend Lorraine Dickinson, 37, of Red Lane, Colne, said: "I lost a good friend, Jim Drainey, to bowel cancer.

"He was such a lovely man and suffered horribly. I thought 'yes I will do that'."

Liz Evans, 32, of Whalley Road, Padiham, and mum Pat Nelson, of Fort Street, Read, were expecting to raise around £360 between them in memory of father and husband Alan Nelson, who died of lung cancer.