SLIDESHOW: Hundreds of ladies brave the rain in 12th annual tractor run

About 150 women and their brightly-decorated pink tractors braved the wet weather on Sunday for the 12th annual Pink Ladies Tractor Road Run, raising funds for the Cancer Research UK Breast Cancer Appeal.

The run first began in 2004, and has since raised £396,000 for the appeal.

Setting off from Thorpe Abbotts airfield, the army of bright vehicles ventured across the Diss Express area, both on and off-road, stopping for a picnic lunch at Gawdy Hall midway through the day.

Organiser Annie Chapman said the event was another huge success, despite rain during the first half of the day.

It was a slightly frustrating day for Mrs Chapman — her tractor broke down just two miles into the journey, hitching a ride with her daughter Libby Searle. This year’s run also had to be re-routed as a result of the temporary closure of Shotford Bridge in Harleston, but had been re-opened earlier than expected.

“It went very well,” she said. “We got absolutely drenched in the morning, the heavens opened.

“Thankfully the sun came out not long after lunch so we had a dry journey back.

“Having said that, Harleston was still amazing. It was absolutely packed with people even though it was chucking it down.

“It was so lovely to see so many people supporting us.

“It is just a wonderful team of people that help it run. I could not do it without them.”

Mrs Chapman said she was hopeful, with a good result this year and next, total fundraising from the annual event would hit the £500,000 mark.

Money raised from the event will be presented to the charity in September.

For more information on the Pink Ladies Tractor Road Run, visit www.ladiestractorroadrun.co.uk

To send a donation, send a cheque payable to Cancer Research UK to Annie Chapman at Boundary Farm, Garlic Street, Pulham St Mary, Diss, Norfolk IP21 4RL