A CHARITY is staging an exciting new race this weekend that will turn runners into a blaze of colour.

The North-East Autism Society (NEAS) organised Run the Spectrum to help raise funds for a specialist education centre.

So far more than 600 people have signed up to run, walk, hop, skip or jump the colourful 5K course around South Park in Darlington on Sunday, September 21, from noon to 3pm.

Sophie Clarke, events and community fundraiser at NEAS, said: “This event is a chance for families to join together and have fun.

“This will be a fantastic event, starting in pristine white t-shirts our runners will quite literally be covered from head to toe in a mass of vibrant colours as they run through our colour zones along the route.

“We want this to be the North-East’s most colourful family fun run”.

The charity needs to raise £375,000 to create the college in an unused building at its North East Centre for Autism in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

John Phillipson, chief executive at NEAS, said; “The development of the college will enable us to increase the range of vocational learning environments for our students.

“One feature of the new college is a training kitchen that will give students the chance to learn practical cookery skills and turn these into a small business and will service a café area in the new college building”.

For more information about the North East Autism Society visit www.ne-as.org.uk or call the fundraising team 0191-410-9974.