Video and pictures: Pink Army goes into battle at Telford's Race for Life

The event, which is organised to raise money for Cancer Research UK, is expected to raise up to £100,000 for the fight against cancer.

As racers lined up in their running gear, pink wigs, hoodies, cowboy hats, butterfly wings – and rain macs – Lucy Morton, one of the race organisers, said they were thrilled with the numbers taking part year at Telford Town Park.

She said: "We were really pleased with the amount of people who have come down to take part and we are even more pleased that they were still in fancy dress to do the run."

As part of this year's race the organisers arranged a new course, which was marshalled by Telford Parkrun and Lawley Running Club.

"It is a really nice course. It is a new route and it takes in a lot more of the park," said Lucy.

She also explained the importance of the race to the organisation's fundraising efforts and said it was designed to be as inclusive as possible.

She said: "Cancer Research UK is completely funded by sponsorship and donations, there is no Government funding so we ask the runners to raise funds and we have asked them to raise £100,000 today.

"What is great about them is you can run or walk, so it is open to all ages it is wheelchair friendly too, we want everyone to take part.

"We also keep the race open until the last person comes across the line."

The theme for this year's race was "Pink Army", and the participants certainly lived up to the theme with army style tattoos plastered on arms and faces with slogans such as "Hell hath no fury" emblazoned in pink.

Lucy said: "This year we have gone for the "Pink Army" theme and I think it has been terrific to see the response to that."

Before the race the crowd took part in a raucous warm up to dance music tracks, with hundreds of pink-clad women stretching and dancing along to chart toppers, such as Gangnam Style.

The crowd also heard from Telford woman, Karen Holden, 49, who is terminally ill with cancer.

She urged women to make sure they perform regular checks so they are aware of any changes to their bodies.

Karen explained that she thought she had beaten the illness, only for it to return.

She said: "I was diagnosed in 2005 with breast cancer. I was treated, has a mastectomy and everything was good, then three-and-a-half years ago I had a bad back and found out I had cancer in my bones. It has now progressed into my lungs. It is in a lot of my bones, my hips, my spine, my pelvis, the tops of my femurs.

"I started chemotherapy again on Thursday which will be my third round

"I am not going to get better. It is just keeping me alive as long as they can, of which they are doing a great job."

She added: "People need to make sure they check regularly. I found my first with just scratching an itch, would you believe. I felt a lump and that is how I found it. Unfortunately the second time around I couldn't find any lumps, it went straight into my bones."

For the start of the race the runners lined up ahead of the walkers with the first making it back in just over 21 minutes.

The Cancer Research "donation station" also proved a resounding success with participants contributing sackloads of items which will be sold at the organisation's shop in Wellington.

Shop manager Jamie Tinsley said: "The donation bags are included in the race packs and people taking part can fill them and drop them off here. We have taken about 100 bags today and 90 per cent of that is gift aided so it is a good amount of money."

Mr Tinsley said each bag would make around £25 in the organisation's shop."