Almost 400 racers, young and old, turned up at Croxteth Park to take part in the MoRun on Saturday.
Events are being held all over the country this month to raise money for The Movember Foundation, a charity that tackles men’s health problems – such as testicular and prostate cancer, and increased risk of suicide.
Adults took part in 5K and 10K races in the Croxteth Park gathering, with children also participating on a shorter course of 1.5K.
Race commentator, Chris Benson, told JMU Journalism: “It is the third year I have been at Croxteth Park hosting this, and it is good seeing the people who have been here previous years doing it again. Liverpool always has a great turnout.”
YouTube: Maisie Harvey
The man with the microphone was particularly supportive of The Movember Foundation’s focus on male mental health.
He said: “It is quite staggering that three in four suicides, even now, are male, and us men seem to have a problem, still, of talking to each other. I am not sure why we always try to talk about trivial things like sport or television, but never about the big stuff.”
Rachel Rongong, a 49-year-old from Stockport, medalled as she was the first woman to finish the 5k event.
She said: “I have a challenge this year to earn a medal a month, but my mum is here with me today as well, and she’s nearly 70. Her husband has had male health issues so it all ties in really.”
A good proportion of runners decided to take on the challenge in fancy dress, including 32-year-old Michael Byrne from Kensington, who ran the 10k donning a sombrero and a poncho.
He said: “Everyone says I look Mexican, so I grew the moustache to run for a local charity – Edge Hill Youth and Community Centre. I work for them, and I am raising money to buy new equipment.”
It was the second time competing in the 10k MoRun for 46-year-old Sarah Barnard from Old Swan, who felt there should be as much focus on men’s health as women.
She said: “There’s so much that’s going on for breast cancer like Cancer Research’s ‘Pretty Muddy’, and the male side of things is not really in the public eye as much I don’t think.”