OVER 500 runners undertook a new gruelling 10k run in Heaton Park to raise money for Cancer Research UK on Saturday.

The charity’s ‘Tough 10’ run gave runners the chance to go up against the elements of the 640-acre park, including numerous muddy trails, steep hills and bumpy terrain.

The Tough 10 Series offers runners the opportunity to set a new kind of personal best, with a choice of three different levels of difficulty to choose from at the eight different course events in the UK.

It is hoped that the event will raise around £24,000 for the charity.

Kirsti Thompson, Cancer Research UK Event Manager, said: “The atmosphere was electric on the day as people braved the elements and took on 10k off road to beat cancer sooner.

“Every day, around 110 people in the North West are diagnosed with cancer. That’s why we are grateful for everyone who took on our stamina-testing course and raised vital funds for Cancer Research UK.

Although one in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life, survival rate has doubled within the last 50 years.

A lot of this is due to Cancer Research UK’s work, but Kirsti said just half of people surviving is “not enough”.

She added: “We’re asking runners to make every step count by paying in their sponsorship money as soon as possible so that it can be used to fund life-saving research.”

Cancer Research UK spent over £26m in Manchester last year, on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.