PICTURES: 1,200 women and children take part in Pretty Muddy in Blackpool

The annual Pretty Muddy 5k race for Cancer Research UK took place at Lawson's Field today. Hundreds of women and children took part in the event which involved getting very wet and extremely muddy, all in a good cause. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday August 22, 2018.

After a blustery and wet week, the rain held off at Lawson’s Field this morning, though as you can see, the conditions were hardly dry!

And it wasn’t just a roll in the mud - organisers hope to have raised £69,000 for Cancer Research UK, once participants have sent in their sponsorship money.

“The atmosphere was incredible, full of smiles, laughter, mud, and people getting dirty to fight cancer,” area events manager Kirsti Thompson said afterwards.

Town cryer Barry McQueen acted as the official starter. All pictures by Paul Heyes

“We would like to say thank you to the people of Blackpool for embracing the event and taking the time to take part.”

The children were the first to take part in the obstacle course; scrambling over an A-frame, crawling through a mud pit, and having fun with their friends.

The course covered a varied route over a mixture of grass, tracks, and paved paths, which was mostly flat, and, once they had finished, the adults set off in waves of around 250.

For more details on how to hand in sponsorship money collected for the event, visit raceforlife.org