IT was smiles all the way as nearly 7,000 runners put their best foot forward in Manchester's Heaton Park in aid of Sport Relief.

Fund-raisers of all ages and speeds adopted a variety of costumes and aids - including one pair on pogo sticks - for the event.

Every runner in the Fitness First Sport Relief Mile was sponsored by friends, workmates and relatives to raise cash for Sport Relief, set up by Comic Relief and the BBC to tackle poverty in some of the world's poorest countries.

Paralympian swimmer Sarah Bailey and Kevin Adams, the dance teacher from BBC TV's Fame Academy, were among those taking part in the big money-raising run.

Organisers, expecting 6,000 entrants, were pleasantly surprised when almost 1,000 extra runners turned up to register on the day.

The thousands of runners were organised into three separate groups, starting at half-hourly intervals. After completing the one-mile circuit in the park, the runners enjoyed a variety of entertainment. Tweet