LYDIARD Park became a sea of pink in May as thousands of women joined together at Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

More than 4,000 mums, grans, daughters, sisters, aunties, workmates and friends united with one mission in mind – to beat cancer.

The organisers of the Pretty Muddy, 5k and 10k event were thrilled with how the weekend went and would like to send a heart-felt message of thanks to everyone who took part as well as all their supporters.

But now they are calling on everyone who took part to make their Race for Life count by returning their sponsorship money as soon as possible.

Last year, Race for Life in Swindon raised an incredible £260,000.

This year, the charity hopes the 4,300 women who took part will collectively hit a fundraising target of £250,000.

Michelle Leighton, Race for Life event manager for Swindon, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who took part in Race for Life, and their supporters, as well as our heroic volunteers.

“It was a fantastic weekend, full of emotion, courage, tears and laughter as thousands of women joined forces to conquer cancer.

“Now I’m asking everyone who took part — and all the friends, family and colleagues who pledged to sponsor them — to transform their passion into progress by returning the money they’ve raised as soon as possible.

“We’re encouraging all the heroic ladies who took part to show off their pictures from the day to encourage their sponsors to return what they’ve pledged.”

One in two people will get cancer at some point in their lives. But thanks to advances in research, more people are surviving than ever before.

Nell Barrie, Cancer Research UK’s Senior Science communication manager, said: “We want to see people with every type of cancer, including those that are hard to treat, get a good chance of living a long healthy life.

“The advances we’ve made since Race for Life started in 1994 show we are moving in the right direction.”

It appears that many people don’t realise that their race entry fee only covers the cost of the event and doesn’t actually go towards the goal of combatting cancer through research. It is the sponsorship money that really makes a difference.

Sponsorship money can be paid in online, by phone, by cheque or in person at a Cancer Research UK shop.

There is a shop on Havelock Street in the town centre.

Nell Barrie added: “Each year more and more people are diagnosed with cancer, so there’s still much more to do. That’s why we need everyone who took part in Swindon to take the vital last step by returning their money.”