HUNDREDS of Huddersfield people put their best feet forward at the weekend to raise money for Sport Relief.
No less than 600 runners ranging from tots and their parents to super sprinters packed into Greenhead Park to take on the town’s Sport Relief Mile.
The sea of runners proved a spectacle as they walked, jogged, hopped and skipped their away around the course.
Many donned rabbit ears for the fun race, named the Bunny Mile, and participants could choose their own distances of either one, three or six miles.
Players from Town and Huddersfield Giants and their cheerleaders also joined in the fun – one of hundreds of runs staged around the country.
As well as the race there was a variety of family-friendly activities on offer, including a penalty shoot out competition, a tennis rally, face painting and a bunny train.
Kerry Noble, who helped organise the run in the park said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day. The race was already full with 500 runners and then we had another 100 people joining us on the day.
“The atmosphere was fantastic. We had people dressed up in costumes and wearing bunny ears. A whole family turned up wearing bunny tails as well!
“It was brilliant to see so many people involved and everybody stayed and cheered people across the finish line.
“It was the first time this has happened in the park and we plan to push the numbers to 1,000 next time.”
Participants in the race included regular park runners Michael Boyes, Martin Downey and Richard Burnett who each ran all of the different race lengths.
In Outlane runners also gathered to raise money for the charity, which helps people living in some of the world’s poorest countries as well as across the rest of the UK.
An event was staged in the grounds of The Old Golf House Hotel with runners completing a course around the hotel’s pitch and putt course.
The race, with many wearing fancy dress, was organised with the help of former Lindley neighbourhood police officer Graeme Hind.
His brother, Sgt Major Gavin Hind from the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, presented medals to the winners.
He took part in the event prior to his imminent deployment to Afghanistan.
The runs drew to a close a massive few days of fundraising efforts from individuals, schools, community groups, and businesses across the town.
Fundraisers included the staff and children at Birkby Junior School, who staged their own Sport Relief mile.
They ran six laps of the playground which was equivalent to a mile and raised £265.
The national appeal raised a record £50m which was £21m more than the total raised last time.
A star-studded BBC show featured comic sketches with athletes and feats of endurance from celebrities.
PUPILS at Hipperholme Grammar School were in fine style for the Sport Relief mile.
The school of just 250 pupils raised £2,767.66 for the charity.
There were three, four and even eight-legged entries and some students leap-frogged their way round the school’s one mile course.
The first to the finish was Year 11 student Liam Stedman from Bradford who made it in just six minutes.
The last three pupils, Year 8 Izzie Lloyd, Faye Burnhill and Eve Stollery, persevered heroically as a four-legged group of girls in pink tutus and took their final steps 54 minutes later.
Headteacher Jack Williams said: “I am so pleased with the way the whole school has come together to support this event and the four-legged race was a particular highlight.”
The amount raised was an outstanding achievement, he said”.
