AROUND 1,000 people took part in the annual Keighley 10k and 5k run and walk in support of Sue Ryder.

Participants braved wet conditions to complete the routes, which started and finished at Victoria Park and took in a section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath and the grounds of 17th century National Trust property East Riddlesden Hall. The 10k also incorporated Keighley Golf Club.

Everyone received a bespoke T-shirt at the finish.

Since it was first held nearly two decades ago, the popular fixture has coined-in more than £500,000 for the Sue Ryder charity – which runs Manorlands hospice, at Oxenhope.

The fundraising total for the latest event, held on Sunday, was £35,000.

The 10k attracted more than 770 participants.

First to finish was Jack Cummings, of Ilkley Harriers, in 35 minutes 11 seconds.

The first female finisher was Jo Buckley, in 42:30.

There were over 170 finishers in the 5k.

First home was Ben Richardson in 20:26 and first female across the finish line was Alice O’Sullivan, of Keighley & Craven Athletics Club, in 22:01.

Andrew Wood, community fundraising manager at Manorlands, says: “The Keighley 10k and 5k is an event that the town can be proud of and we know that lots of people plan their calendars to ensure they can do it.

“A lot of effort has gone into putting this event together and so it was brilliant to see everyone enjoying it with smiles on their faces, despite the rain.

“We would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to our headline sponsors Colin Appleyard, AWB Charlesworth Solicitors and the Modality Partnership, all our volunteers who helped on the day and of course everyone who took part and raised crucial funds to support our expert care and bereavement support.”

Manorlands supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families at the hospice and in the community, across an area covering Craven, Airedale and Wharfedale as well as parts of Bradford.

All services are free to patients and their loved ones, but it costs over £10,000 a day to keep the hospice doors open – or £3.6m a year.

Only a small part of the cost is covered by statutory funding.

For full results from the event, go to racebest.com/results/gaavy

Sue Ryder’s next major fundraising event is the Mascot Gold Cup, at Wetherby racecourse on April 28. For more details and to sign up, visit sueryder.org/mascotgoldcup