More than 2,300 women took part in the Race for Life to celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to cancer and raise money for those still alive.

It was a fun event for the runners, many of whom were gasping for breath at the end of a three-mile run in glorious sunshine through Stanmer Park, Brighton, but there was a poignant note too.

Many participants wore pink bibs bearing the names of parents, children and friends they had lost to cancer.

Organisers expected the event to raise at least £90,000 for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

A group of 30 runners from Crawley health care company Novo Nordisc were inspired by a colleague battling cancer to take part in the race yesterday.

They wore T-shirts reading: "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. They leave footprints on our hearts and we are never the same again."

Between them they had raised more than £2,500 including a £1,000 donation from the company.

Julia Flynn and Hilary Knight, both from Worthing, shaved two minutes off their target time, completing the course in 28 minutes.

Julia wore a pink bib crammed with names. She said: "Both my father and my father-in-law died of cancer. It has definitely touched my life. It was when I had children that I realised how devastating it could be."

Friends Sue Bishop and Claire Cooper, both of Haywards Heath, crossed the finishing line with their daughters Sarah and Lucy, both ten.

Claire said: "It is very moving when you see all the pink tags around you. It is a good reminder of why you are there."

The fastest runner was Julie Heath, of Hastings. She romped home in just over 18 minutes while her twin daughters Jenna and Cheryl came in fourth and fifth.

A spokeswoman for Race for Life said: "The weather was fantastic and more than 2,300 people ran the race compared with 1,734 last year."