by Alan Smith

ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk

It all started so badly, yet it ended so well.

Fierce overnight downpours left organisers of this year’s Maidstone Race For Life worrying whether the event could go ahead on Sunday morning.

Area event manager Hayley Reynolds said: “As we drove to Mote Park at about six in the morning, some of the roads were still flooded, and we worried whether the ground would be too water-logged.”

But the race started just 20 minutes late, after some alterations to the course to avoid the most rain-sodden patches.

And what a race! A total of 5,942 took part in the 5k and 10k events, the most at any Race for Life in Kent since its inception 15 years ago.

Mums, grans and daughters took to the course, many wearing pink costumes and sporting the names of relatives or loved ones lost to cancer.

They were joined by TV presenter Carol McGiffin. The Loose Women star ran the event in memory of her mum, Heather, who died of cancer.

Visit www.cancerresearchuk.org

• See this week's Kent Messenger for full report and pictures.