Runners of all ages have helped a parkrun celebrate its 100th anniversary.

They ranged from 10-year-old Maddie Townsend-Brazier raising money for her younger sister who has leukaemia to 88-year-old Denis Paine who only took up the sport five years ago.

Event director Wendy Tipton said: "It just proves you can take up running at any age. You don't even have to run. Some just walk. Others come with their dogs and some push children in buggies. It's amazing. It's like a huge family.

"It doesn't matter how you finish. You can hop, skip and jump if you like. It's all about getting people out in the open air and enjoying themselves."

Seventy-one runners descended on The Leas at Minster on the Isle of Sheppey at 9am on Saturday.

Wendy, 54, who doesn't run herself, admitted: "We would have celebrated this milestone sooner if Covid hadn't come along."

Introducing the free parkrun to Sheppey was the brainchild of Steve Chalke who founded Oasis Learning, which runs the Island's Oasis Academy. He raised the subject at a meeting of the Sheppey Community Development Forum and Louise Milne of Kent Sport helped put it together.

Islander Wendy, who works in the housing department of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said: "I saw a post on Facebook asking for a volunteer event director but I initially ignored it. I thought it meant and I would have to run, and I hate running. I was told at school that I ran like a penguin. It must have psychologically damaged me as an adult!"

She added: "I didn't even know what an event director did."

But she eventually signed up. She said: "I was here right at the start when we were still trying out the 5k course. The original idea was to run from Sheerness to Minster but there were too many steps on the promenade at Sheerness. You aren't allowed to have steps on a parkrun course."

The course now begins and ends at the Sweet Hut on the seafront at Minster and goes past a line of beach huts.

Wendy said: "We have had runners from all over the world. Today we had one from Bromley but we have had them from Canada, the USA and South Africa. We've even had one from Scotland!"

The first run was held on September 28, 2019, thanks to an initial cash injection from the Minster-on-Sea Rotary Club.

Wendy said: "We couldn't do this without our brilliant volunteers. They are a diverse bunch and come from all walks of life. We have health visitors, students, a prison officer and civil servants."

Although entrance is free, all runners must register on the website and are then sent a unique barcode which is scanned on the day. Results are then emailed to those who take part.

Wendy said: "After the run we go for breakfast at either Lol's at Halfway or Stones Nursery where we upload the results from our mobile phones. The first time it took us two to three hours but now the technology has moved on and it just takes about 10 minutes.

"Runners are given their times and told where they finished and how they did in their own age group."

There is even a volunteer tail-walker to ensure no one comes last.

First home on Saturday was Lewis Gransden who completed the course in 20min 10sec.

Ten-year-old Maddie finished with a time of 36 minutes alongside her dad Ian, who is the business development manager at Seashells Children's Centre in Sheerness. He had been pushing a buggy with his other daughter Mollie, seven, who has been diagnosed with leukaemia.

Tim explained: "We are raising money by taking part in 100 parkruns. This was our 50th. We are now half-way through."

Keen cyclist and now veteran runner Denis from Ashley Close, Halfway, ended in a respectable 40min 8sec.

He said: "I used to do cycle racing and motorbike racing but I'd never done any running before until I was 83 so I thought I'd give it a try. Now I never miss a week although it's very hard."

His daughter Karen Green romped home in 23min 2sec. She began at the Sittingbourne parkrun. She said: "Dad would come over to watch and one day said he wanted to have a go. We thought he meant he was going to walk it but no, he decided to run it and he hasn't stopped since. We have to do the parkrun every Saturday morning.

"It was great when The Leas started up, as it is just down the road from us."

She added: "Dad used to cycle to work every day to Marley's at Lenham from Sheppey, come rain or shine. He's always been bonkers. But he is an inspiration to everyone. They say if Denis can do it, so can we. There are no excuses."