Kitchen sinks were abandoned and husbands were left holding the baby around North Yorkshire yesterday as more than 1,000 women gathered on York's Knavesmire for the Race for Life.

It was a celebration of women by women. And the girlpower fun run is expected to have raised £40,000 for the Imperial Cancer research fund.

Men took a back seat, relegated to holding the fort back home or acting as support crews for the runners.

Last year only 400 women took part in the York Race for Life. Yesterday's turn-out was a tribute to caring and determination as many of the runners had a very personal reason for being there.

Some were cancer sufferers, others had beaten the disease while many had lost loved ones and friends to cancer.

But most of all, the event was a fun affair with a musical warm up and mass dancing to demonstrate to the world - we will survive.

see NEWS 'More than 1,100 join Race For Life in York'

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