RUNNERS crawled through mud-caked nets and careered down an inflatable slide in the quest to find a cure for cancer.

More than 1,400 people took part in Pretty Muddy in Oxford on Saturday, raising £95,000 between them for Cancer Research.

A sea of people, many wearing bright pink t-shirts, glitter and tutus, sprinted through South Park and conquered several challenges along the way.

Crowds were hosed with mud and splashed through murky water as they tackled the five-kilometre route, also conquering a space hopper course, commando-style net crawl and various inflatable obstacles.

Friends Rachael Marshall, Dawn Painting and Emily Rose, all from Abingdon, took part with their children.

Mrs Rose's daughter Maizie, eight, was diagnosed in 2013 with neuroblastoma - a rare childhood cancer.

Read more about Maizie's story here

She was given the all-clear last year and was among those running on Saturday, and said the big inflatable slide at the end was her favourite part of the course.

Mrs Painting, who took part in the event the previous year, said: "I did worry about going round the course, but when you cross the finish line, the feeling of achievement is overwhelming."

Corriene Walker, also from Abingdon, was part of a group of 15 friends running in pink tutus and pink head boppers.

She said: "Each of us has lost loved ones in the last year, and our families are still suffering - cancer is just so prevalent."

The team raised a substantial sum between them and planned to visit Abingdon's College Oak pub after the event, to continue fundraising with a bucket collection.

Pretty Muddy is a relatively new part of Cancer Research's Race for Life programme, and takes place at locations around the UK.

ALSO READ: Oxford Race for Life 2019 in pictures

Sophie Heath, the event manager of the Oxford race, said: "It offers something a bit different and takes place across the country, from Inverness all the way down to Cornwall.

"The people of Oxford are brilliant and super supportive in taking part every year.

"Cancer is definitely something that is close to all of our hearts and it's things like this that make you think hopefully, if we can all come together, we will find a cure."

This was Pretty Muddy's third time in Oxford, and this year there was a focus on sustainability.

Instead of giving out plastic bottles of water, there was a water station with biodegradable cups where runners could refresh post-race.

Participants warmed up with a dance workout at the start line, and shared stories on stage about how cancer had affected their lives.