AROUND 2,000 women and children took on inflatables, obstacles and mud pits in aid of a cancer charity at the weekend.

Cancer Research UK held its Race for Life Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events at the Riverside Park, in Chester-le-Street, on Saturday.

Almost 500 five to 12-year-old boys and girls had fun slipping and squelching around their course before 1,400 teenagers and adults then tackled a 5km course– scrambling over an A-frame, crawling through mud pits and dragging themselves across giant pink inflatables before landing in a big puddle at the bottom of a muddy slide at the finish line.

Groups of women, families, schoolfriends and work colleagues enjoyed putting the fun into fundraising on the day.

But alongside the tears of laughter were tears of loss, relief or gratitude as many people at the event had a special reason to take part.

Lots of participants decided to do the sponsored event having faced their own battle with cancer, having supported or lost a loved one to the disease or simply because they wanted to support the charity's work.

A spokesperson for Cancer Research UK told participants: "Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.

"Your support through events like Race for Life is what helps us continue our ground-breaking work to see more people surviving cancer.

"Cancer Research UK are world leaders in finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

"We receive no Government funding for our research; we rely on the funds that fantastic people like you raise."