6,000 women fight cancer at Brighton Race for Life

Thousands of women took part in the Race for Life in Stanmer Park in Brighton this weekend.

Many of them were dressed in pink for the 5km event held yesterday afternoon (Saturday 30 June) and this morning (Sunday 1 July).

They were raising money for Cancer Research UK and many had the names of loved ones lost to cancer pinned to their backs as they ran.

The organisers hope that the 6,000 women and girls taking part in the two Brighton events will raise more than £330,000 to help fund vital research.

Among those entered were Natasha Long, 33, from Woodingdean, who had cervical cancer diagnosed three years ago.

The mother of two thought that she would not live to see her children grow up.

And although she was successfully treated for the disease, there came a further blow when she was told that she would not be able to have any more children.

She underwent a radical hysterectomy at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in January 2009 and two weeks later she was told that she was free of cancer.

She said: “Thank God they were able to remove the site of the cancer so I didn’t need to go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy as so many people do.

“I was very lucky in lots of ways – I was treated quickly and I already had two beautiful children.

“But it was still gutting to be told I would not be able to have any more. I was only 30 and I always thought I would go on to have more.

“Women from all backgrounds enter Race for Life, each with their own special reason for taking part.

“They might be doing it in memory or celebration of a loved one, or, like me, to mark their own cancer journey.

“It might just be a fun day out with the girls.

“Together they will be doing something extraordinary – raising money to fund research which saves lives like mine.”