Relaxing in the Gardens

Through the centre of Bournemouth runs the Upper Pleasure Gardens and the Lower Gardens. Originally, these were called the Lower Pleasure Gardens until some prude on the Council thought this sounded too rude and renamed it!

Warmup

Thousands of women warmup ahead of the 5k

The Race For Life are a series of events to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. As part of the event, everyone is encouraged to wear items of pink clothing.

Gran gets involved!

Fuelled on Sherry and Turkish Delight, Grandma Gray joins in the warmup. She's had her own battles with health this last few years and was happy to show her support.

Pack heads down to the Start

With so many thousands of runners the organisers had a tough job on their hands but handled the get go well.

Crowd and field start to thin

The Race For Life has a party atmosphere for a lot of the competitors and most of them run in memory of someone or as a celebration of their own triumphs over Cancer.

Mixed field of runners

All age groups, shapes and sizes taking part. For many it will be the furthest distance they have run in years.

Runners streaming off

The race ran between the Piers on a warm but overcast day. Whilst it was generally well organised, a number of the runners did complain that there wasn't water along the route.

Nearly at the finish

"Keep going Anne!!"

The course was an out-and-back loop of 2.5k - between Bournemouth and Boscombe Piers - so those the runners got cheered twice by their supporters.

All too much for some

Don't let these pictures of Bournemouth fool you into thinking it's an energetic place; this is the more usual pace!