THIS Sunday nearly 3,000 women will converge on Southampton Common for the annual RaceForLife to raise more than £100,000 for cancer research.

The event, organised by Imperial Cancer Research, is part of a series of walks and runs for women taking place at a number of venues throughout the UK.

Last year about 120,000 women took part nationally, raising £5m.

This year, organisers estimate that 160,000 women will take part nationally, who have set themselves a target of £6.5m.

Last year's Southampton event, held at the Royal Victoria Country Park, attracted 2,000 participants.

So far this year, more than 2,900 women have registered, causing Race For Life organiser Simon O'Leary to change the venue to Southampton Common.

"The race has smashed its target. Currently, the number of women who have entered stands at 2,929, which is an increase of nearly a thousand on last year," said Mr O'Leary.

The RaceForLife, which starts at 11am on Sunday, costs £10 to enter on the day and each woman is encouraged to set themselves a target to raise at least £30 in sponsorship money.

Mr O'Leary said: "Last year we had a target of £80,000 and we raised £90,000. This year, because the number of participants has increased so much, we're confident we'll raise even more than the projected £110,000."