ENERGETIC staff from a Teesdale drug company swapped their laboratory coats for jogging suits to raise cash for local charities.
Workers at GlaxoSmith-Kline (GSK) took part in two-mile and four-mile runs and raised £10,000 for six charities in the region.
More than 180 staff took part in the races to raise money for the Disabled Youngsters Scheme, Friends of Cotherstone School, Macmillan Nurses, Barnard Castle Guides and the children's wards at Bishop Auckland General Hospital and Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Jonathan Box, site director at the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceuticals plant, in Harmire Road, Barnard Castle, originally pledged £50 to charity for every member of staff that crossed the finishing line in either race. But he was so impressed with their efforts that he raised the donation to £10,000.
He and his wife took part in the four-mile event and two of their children entered the two-mile fun run.
A spokesman for the Barnard Castle plant said: "Staff were joined by family and friends, as well runners from other GSK sites, which swelled the field to more than 300 people. It was a great success."
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