This year’s Lincoln 10k road race saw a record-breaking number of people take to streets.

The route, in which runners raced down started on Riseholme Road before going through the crowds, gathered at the Cathedral and crossed the finish line within the grounds of Lincoln Castle.

Around 5,000 people took part in the event which has been an annual fixture in the city for 15 years.

Amongst the runners was local athlete Matthew Bowser who finished in second place with a time of 30 minutes and 24 seconds.

However, this proved not to be a winning time as his friend and rival Bruce Raeside reached the finishing line, inside the city’s famous castle grounds, a mere eight seconds faster than he did.

Neither of the two runners were said to be pleased with their times however, as they both stated previously that they wanted to beat the magic 30 minute barrier.

It was not all about the competition though, as many participants were running not just for personal satisfaction, but also for charity.

Ashley Thompson, 19, from Cleethorpes, was among those who ran the race.

He said: “The experience was great and I enjoyed every minute of it. The support given by everyone in Lincoln was superb.”

As well as the vast number of participants, the race attracted many spectators who cheered on those who were running, whilst enjoying the spring sunshine which affected many of the runners.

Not everybody was as happy with the race however, as one taxi driver, who preferred to go unnamed, said that the road closures to the race made his life a lot harder.

He said: “It’s an absolute pain. Some of the main roads that I use are closed because of this race. Why should such a main part of town be closed because some people want to go running?

“At least money is being raised for charity though so some good is coming out of it.

“Maybe next year I‘ll book the day off work to join in. That might make me see the other side of it.”