The sun was shining on hundreds of spectators and over 2,000 runners and walkers embarked on the annual Keswick to Barrow course.

The event, in which teams complete the trek to raise money for causes clause to their hearts, was cancelled in 2020, and had to be rescheduled to September last year due to Covid, as organiser Roy Barnes explained:

"It's gone really well - numbers are probably around 1,000 down on where we would have been pre-pandemic - we had 1,300 in September, and just over 2000 today, but it's part of getting back to normal, slowly but surely.

"The weather's brought out loads of spectators too, and it's brought out the best in them - everybody's supporting each other."

Street theatre group The Bread and Butter Theatre Company turned out to applaud the returning heroes and keep the crowd entertained, exclaiming: "Heroes don't just wear capes, they wear blisters."

The Mail: ENTERTAINMENT: The Bread and Butter Theatre Company praised the heroes of the dayENTERTAINMENT: The Bread and Butter Theatre Company praised the heroes of the day

Landing the coveted first place this year was defending champion Joshua Crowther, running for the Royal Navy HMS Anson team.

His finishing time was 4 hours and 28 minutes, and he said:

"I'm over the moon to shave 27 minutes of my time last year."

The Under-17 male winner was 15-year-old Max Hazlehurst, completing the course in 6 hours and 1 minute, and finishing 16th overall, despite spending 20 minutes in an ambulance being treated for blisters during the race.

His mother Catriona Hazlehurst said: "He's done amazingly well, he can barely stand - He's running for CancerCare, because when he started running, his teacher at Low Furness school used to take him on one-mile laps, and look how far he's come.

"He's doing this for her, as she sadly passed away from cancer."

The overall female winner, Karen Oldham came in at 6 hours and 11 minutes, running for Team Jake for the 5th time.

Team Jake raises funds in memory of Jake Ellis, who sadly lost his battle with rhabdomyosarcoma in 2008, aged 5 - his mother Jo-ann also completed the course for the 12th time, and Team Jake veteran Clare Lloyd-Roberts, explained:

"This was my 13th, and would have been Jo's but one year she was nine months pregnant with her daughter.

"Over that time, as an organisation we've raised over £100,000 through the Keswick to Barrow."

The Mail: TEAM JAKE: Jake's mother Jo-ann, left, with Clare Lloyd-Roberts at the beginning of the courseTEAM JAKE: Jake's mother Jo-ann, left, with Clare Lloyd-Roberts at the beginning of the course

The money Team Jake raises goes toward funding research to combat the disease.

Winner Karen wore a picture of Jake on her back, saying: "He's my inspiration for running this."

The Under-17 female trophy went to Tyga Steele, running for St Mary's Hospice.

Tyga was the 2nd female overall the complete the course, in 6 hours and 24 minutes, and her dad quipped:

"She would've been quicker, but she was slowing down so I could keep up."

There will be a full supplement on the K2B and C2B coming soon.

READ MORE: All smiles at last year’s rescheduled K2B and C2B