A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl led 2,500 women in this year's Race For Life – which could raise in excess of £140,000.
Cancer touches the lives of everyone in our community and every year, women run, jog and walk to raise money for Cancer Research UK and its fight against the disease.
This year was the same, as 2,500 local women, girls, babies, and even a few dogs, hit the track at Meridian Park for the 5km Race For Life 2013.
In 2012, the Cleethorpes race raised about £139,000 and with a full roster of entrants yet again, organisers hope they will beat that record and top £140,000.
In Pictures: Race For Life 2013
But as the ladies lined up at the start, many of whom have run the race before, they probably didn't expect nine-year-old Grace Sullivan to be leading the pack as it ran back into the stadium.
The crowd of supporters couldn't believe it when she crossed the line first, completing the 5k race in just 19 minutes and 10 seconds.
Grace, of Nettleton, said: "I was running for my grandma who died of cancer in 2004 – it was before I really got to know her.
"It felt amazing to win – and I raised £47 for charity."
Her mum, Jacqueline Sullivan, 50, said: "I'd heard a young girl was winning but couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Grace running into the stadium."
A river of pink tops flowed down Kingsway all morning as the ladies headed to Meridian Park.
The 2,500 ladies warmed up together and screamed in unison "cancer, we're coming to get you," before lining up at the start.
And just before the race began, the sun broke through the clouds to shine a light on the race.
The new Mayor of North East Lincolnshire Councillor Peggy Elliott counted the ladies down from ten at the start.
She said: "Cancer is something that touches everyone's lives at some point or another – there isn't a person here who hasn't lost a friend, a family member or a neighbour to it.
"I, myself, lost a very close friend of 30 years to the disease just a few weeks ago – and she was battling it for 20 of them.
"This is a terrible disease and we have to do what we can to stop it, which is what every single person here is doing today.
"But it's about more than that – people join in with this together and remember the people they have loved and lost.
"I've always been impressed with the community spirit in this area and seeing everyone today makes me proud to be from North East Lincolnshire."
Alison Mackfall, area events manager for Cancer Research UK said there was a "fantastic turnout" – as there is every year.
She added: "We've all got one thing in common – we all hate cancer and we're not going to stop until we beat it."
To donate to Cancer Research by phone, call 0845 600605 or send a cheque payable to Cancer Research UK to Race for Life, PO Box 442, Northampton, NN3 6UU.
See tomorrow's paper for more pictures.
