A group of runners decided to add some extra meaning to their January jogs by sending messages of support to Prostate Cancer UK using their route apps.

The cancer charity encouraged people to participate in their Run The Month: Marathon Edition in the first month of 2021, the challenge requiring participants to hit 26.2 miles during January.

A group on Facebook took the challenge one step further by running routes which would spell certain letters on their route apps, organised by Carl Smith from Manchester.

Those letters were then used to spell messages of support such as “Men We Are With You”, “Prostate Cancer UK” and “Run The Month”.

Tracey Pritchard, director of fundraising and supporter engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, said the charity was “incredibly proud” of Mr Smith.

“The motivation and positivity that Carl and so many others are bringing to this community makes this event even more worthwhile,” she said.

“The group has well and truly epitomised how families, friends and communities working together, locally and across the UK, can help each other and save lives – especially during a difficult year.

“One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer; it’s now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, and the coronavirus pandemic has made living with a diagnosis only harder.”

The charity’s Run The Month event saw more than 10,000 runners take part and more than £2 million raised.