MORE than 1,000 runners made the best of a glorious autumn day to take part in the annual Rickmansworth School Fun Run on Tuesday.

The event, now in its fourth year, took an estimated 1,100 pupils on a 8.5 kilometre course around Rickmansworth, Croxley Green and across Common Moor.

Organisers had feared the event would have to be cancelled, as torrential rain deluged the site for much of the previous day. However, a record number of participants enjoyed one of the most pleasant days of the year so far.

PE teacher Steve Jump said: “When we were setting up yesterday it didn’t look good at all – the weather was awful. It poured with rain last year so everybody was really worried about a repeat of that. But the sun has come out and given us a great event.”

The event aims to get pupils involved in fun, healthy exercise and to raise money for good causes. It is hoped this year’s event will raise more than £6,000 for breast and prostate cancer charities.

The race was won in a time of 32 minutes and one second by sixth former Tom Gibson.

But for most participants the aim of the day was merely to complete the gruelling cross country course.

Thirteen-year-old Tom Stubbing was one of two competitors jumping the race in a mail sack.

Soon after the start he said: “I don’t know how long I can keep going because I keep falling over. I’ll try and make it to the finish though.”

Not to be outdone, Laura, Steven and Robert Jeeves chose to battle the route with their legs tied together. The siblings, aged 16, 14, and 11, said: “We thought that we’d do something a bit different to make it harder for ourselves; we also wanted to do it as a family.”