Runners, including many from Havering, came out in force for the Brentwood Half Marathon on Sunday.

The 13 mile race, and three mile fun run, which is organised by the Brentwood a Becket Rotary Club featured an elite race for the first time and is set to raise an estimated �150,000 for good causes.

Race director Graham Carter said: “I think it was a great event, it went very well.

“We were fortunate that the weather wasn’t too hot when we started.”

Among the runners were husband and wife Lynzy and Russell Plackett, from Great Warley, who were raising funds for St Francis Hospice in Havering-atte-Bower. They raised more than �3,000 for the hospice.

Inspiring

Lynzy said: “It was my first run and I was nervous beforehand, but I really enjoyed it and I found it inspiring.

“I decided to support St Francis Hospice after learning about a young mother, Kelly-Anne Seery, battling with cancer and the care the hospice provided to her family.

“You don’t realise how lucky you are so I wanted to do something to help raise funds for such a worthy cause.”

More than 40 runners raised more than �11,000 for the Havering and Brentwood Bereavement Service.

Lizzie Allen, marketing and finance manager of the charity, said: “To see so many pink and white shirts in both the half marathon and fun run was amazing.”

A group of parents of children at Scotts Primary School, Hornchurch, raised money for Clic Sargeant who have helped five-year-old Joni-May Stevens who has the disease Ewings sarcoma.

One of the organisers of the group, Charlie Yexley, said: “It went well, we all finished and we’ve raised �9,400 so far.

“Joni-May and her mum came down to see us, which was really good of them.”

Children at Elm Park Primary School will soon be getting new basketball nets to replace previously vandalised ones after their headteacher Vicki Knox, deputy head Lesley Fuller, head of PTA Nikki Warnes and her husband Richard ran the race.

John O’Roarke, managing director of sponsors LV= Insurance, said: “Congratulations to all those who completed the race, and thank you to all those who came along to support them. We were very proud to support the LV= Brentwood Half Marathon and Fun Run 2012.”

To donate to the parents who ran for Clic Sargeant visit www.justgiving.com/runforjoni1.

To dontate to the Elm Park Primary School fund call the school on 01708 451 463.

For more information about the Havering and Brentwood Bereavement Service call 01708 476 912.

For more about St Francis Hospice visit www.sfh.org.uk.