LITTLE Caitlin McCormack was just one of the inspiring individuals who persuaded 5,111 women to don their running shoes for Race for Life.
Caitlin, seven, is battling leukaemia and is currently on a gruelling 16-month chemotherapy programme.
But she was all smiles as she joined her gran to take part in the annual Cancer Research UK fund-raiser.
Caitlin's mum, Carly Payne, said: "She has been fantastic. She hasn't moaned once and has taken it all really well. She even tells us when she needs to take her tablets now."
Also in the Darley Park crowd was Alvaston film star Jack O'Connell. He was supporting his sister Megan, who was running in memory of their late father, Johnny, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009. Megan, 17, was wearing Johnny's Ireland rugby top – a flash of green in a sea of pink yesterday.
Others were running in memory of talented Alvaston cricketer David Smyth, who died aged 28 after suffering from testicular cancer.
*ROLL OF HONOUR: Read the full list of competitors hereCaitlin displays her amazing courage as she crosses finish line to cheers Dressed in pink and ready to start the Race for Life yesterday, Caitlin McCormack looked like any other young girl without a care in the world.But despite the happy smiles, Caitlin is fighting a tough battle against cancer.
Her diagnosis in November came completely out of the blue for her mum Carly Payne.
The 28-year-old from Alvaston said: "One morning, she had a pain in her arm.
"I thought that she had sprained it or something like that so we went to the doctors.
"They referred us straight to A&E at the Royal Derby Hospital and then we were sent to the QMC in Nottingham where we had the tests done.
"They explained that it could be leukaemia and the tests said it was.
"We explained to her what the tests might mean and she just took it in her stride.
"The only time she got emotional was when she lost her hair. She was really upset about that."
Caitlin's painful arm is one of the signs of the disease as her bone marrow was becoming crowded with white blood cells.
Carly said: "We spent ten days in hospital with her.
"She started her chemo treatment at home and we give her tablets every day. It's actually her that reminds us that she needs to take them. She is amazing."
Now into 16 months of chemotherapy treatment the seven-year-old is testament to every single penny that is raised at Race for Life every year.
A total of 5,111 women completed the five-kilometre course, including Caitlin's grandmother Jacky Ayling.
The 52-year-old from Allenton, said: "Caitlin's diagnosis knocked us off our feet.
"You really don't think that from a painful arm one day that she would be diagnosed with leukaemia.
"This is the first time that I have run it and it just seemed like a really good reason to do it."
The future looks bright for Caitlin as she aims to start school in September after not attending since her diagnosis.
Another group at yesterday's event at Darley Park were the family of John and Pam Butler.
The couple from Chaddesden were celebrating Pam's one-year anniversary since being clear from lymphoma.
And on the day of the race Pam and John were also celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary.
The couple were joined by their three children, friends and family for the double celebratory lap of the park.
In November 2010 Pam was diagnosed with lymphoma after she went to the doctors complaining of trouble with her hearing.
She was told that she had the disease just two weeks after her mother passed away from mantle stem lymphoma.
Pam, 59, said: "It was such a shock. A week after I was in the Royal Derby Hospital and had my lymph nodes removed.
"And I then started my chemotherapy treatment on December 28."
In July 2012 she was given the all clear.
Her daughter Louise Kojdic ran with her mother and sister, Ella Gretton, to celebrate.
She said: "We said to her, 'Do you not want to go on holiday or something for your anniversary?' – but she wanted to run the Race for Life. She was determined."
Thousands of women and their supporters started making their way to the start line in Darley Park from 9am in cooler conditions than the past week.
However the sun soon broke through the cloud and as around 3,600 women started the first race, the temperatures started rising.
The second race saw a smaller but no less vocal crowd of around 1,500 women lineup for the start.
One of those who made their way round the course in the second wave was Megan O'Connell, sister of film star Jack.
The pair, from Alvaston, lost their father, Johnny Patrick, to pancreatic cancer in 2009.
Megan, 17, ran the race in her late dad's Ireland rugby shirt.
She was greeted by Jack at the line with a spray of water to cool her down in the heat.
Jack, 22, said: "It is amazing to see so many people here running for such a great cause.
"The minute's silence at the start is very humbling. You know it is heartfelt."
Megan said: "This is my first year that I have run it and it was amazing.
"I hadn't thought about doing something for my dad before but the whole process of growing up made me want to do something.
"I wore his top to be a bit different. It made me stand out a bit against all the pink."
And this is the warm-up: