MORE than a thousand runners took to the trails at Harewood House this weekend for the BHF’s annual half marathon in a united front against coronary heart disease, the UK’s single biggest killer.

The Harewood House Half Marathon which started and finished in the grounds of Harewood House saw runners cover 13.1 miles across muddy off road trails and steep inclines to raise urgently needed funds for the nation’s heart charity.

BHF event organiser Helen Wright said: “The BHF receives no Government funding and relies entirely on the generosity of our supporters to pay for life saving research, so I would like to thank everyone who took part, everyone who supported our runners and all of our volunteers who include Penistone Scout Group and Leeds Raynet. The atmosphere on the day was great, the sun was shining and there was a real sense of comradery amongst the runners – many who were taking on this distance for the first time.

“Thank you to everyone who has already sent in their sponsorship money. If you haven’t yet, don’t worry; there’s still time to set up a fundraising page and help us beat our target of £50,000 to go towards essential research into heart disease.

“Coronary heart disease is not beaten yet – it remains the single biggest killer in the UK and it’s because of your support, that we are able to continue our fight to find a cure.”