Glenn Kelly, aged 46, from May Bank, works in retail and ran as a caveman.

He said: "I'm raising money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice. My twin daughters Amanda and Heather, who are 23, are also running. I've done this race four times and it's the best half marathon going."

Engineer James Mashhouri , aged 26, hails from Birches Head and came back from Manchester.

He said: "I'm doing the race in memory of my father Ahmad Mashhouri, who died last year. He received care at home from the Douglas Macmillan Hospice nurses and I wanted to do something for them. I've raised more than £500."

Admin clerk Linda Woodall, aged 48, from Hartshill, said: "This is the first time I've run the Potters 'Arf since the first one in 2005. I like it because it's a local race and you get a lot of support."

Her twin sister Hazel Barlow, also from Hartshill, who works in advertising, said: "I've run every year since it started. There are a lot of hills which make it interesting."