MORE than 650 runners painted the Auld Grey Town red, purple, green, orange and blue while raising cash for charity at Kendal’s first ‘Colour Dash’.

The event saw participants run four kilometres while being pelted with colourful powdered paint in a bid to raise funds for St John’s Hospice.

More than £17,000 has been raised so far for the charity, which helps patients and families in South Lakeland and North Lancashire.

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Participants aged from five to 80 turned up at Kirkbie Kendal School on Sunday morning, many with personal stories about friends and loved ones helped by St John’s.

Sisters Nikita, Chloe and Natasha McQueen came all the way from Runcorn for the event, saying: “St John’s Hospice did an amazing job in making our granddad’s last few months comfortable – the work they do is unbelievable.”

Catherine Butterworth, head of fundraising at St John’s, said she was “absolutely amazed and overwhelmed by the support Kendal has shown.”

Confirming that the Kendal Colour Dash would be back ‘bigger and better’ next year, Ms Butterworth said, “I would like to personally thank each and every individual who turned up to raise much needed funds for the local work we do in the Kendal and South Lakes area.

The ‘colour run’ phenomenon has been held in hundreds of cities around the world, and St John’s decided to hold its own version in Kendal, following a successful event in Morecambe in which 500 people took part.