AS far as debut running events go the Bradford on Avon Lions Club's 5k and fun run on Sunday could not have gone much better.

The town, which does not have a recognised running event, held the run from Culver Close playing field from 10am-12pm, attracting nearly 200 runners and raising close to £1,000 for the Lions Club and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

A total of 110 people turned out for the one mile family-friendly off road race at 10am, where participants walked, ran or were pushed along, before the main event took place an hour later in what proved to be a hugely successful launch event.

"It was a pretty impressive debut. The numbers were really encouraging and the feedback we have had has been fantastic," said organiser and Lions Club member Phil Courage.

"Everyone seemed to have a great time and it was lovely to see so many families embracing the event and it was lovely seeing so many children getting involved.

"I hope this will be the start of an annual running event as I think it is a good addition to the town's calendar.

"The idea was to make it a family orientated event rather than choosing a longer running event to make it more inclusive for all and I think it worked. We achieved our goals very well and I am already looking forward to the 2017 edition."

The 5k run, which featured around 70 runners, went to and from Avoncliff in a scenic route along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

After six months of planning, Mr Courage, who is also the chairman of the amateur dramatics group, The Bradfordians, was delighted with how the event went.

"It was a lot of hard work getting this off the ground and it really would not have been possible without our many helpers," he said.

"The town's shops, businesses and town council have really rallied behind us brilliantly providing medals, trophies, goody bags, sponsorships and advertising, for which we are very thankful.

"Although I had a lot of enthusiasm it would not have been very successful without the expertise of Avon Valley Runners.

"The route worked well. You really could not have had a more scenic route and the weather was glorious too. Hopefully it ticks all the boxes for a run, it was a promising start for sure."