Grey clouds could not dampen the spirits of the people who descended on Sunderland from across the North East for the Great North Walk.

Herrington Country Park played host to hundreds of walkers, with organisers predicting the final numbers would be up on 12 months ago.

Raring to go at the front of the field was Elizabeth Harwood, head of Parkside Infants School, in Seaham, proudly sporting her Sunderland top.

"There are five of us taking part," she said. "We do it every year."

One man who was doggedly determined to stay the course was 40-year-old George Henderson, from South Shields, who was sporting a face painted like a dalmatian.

"I'm a fan of the band Kiss – and this was the closest I could get," he said. "This is just a chance to get fit and healthy and do some good for other people.

"It looks like it is going to be a good day for everybody."

Nicola Hedley, of events organisers Nova, said: "We won't know the
final numbers until next week.

"We think it is probably going to be about two-and-a-half thousand and if we get above that, it will be a little bit up on last year.

"This is the first time we have brought the walk to Sunderland – last year it was in Darlington – but the park is an ideal venue.

"The main walk goes up to Penshaw Monument, which is great, and we have got a Tarmaced path right round the park for the wheelchair walk."

The walk is a real family affair and hoping to make the most of the day were the Greathead family from Bishop Auckland – complete with eight-year-old Jake and Matthew, six.

"This is the first time we have done the walk," said mum Julia, "and we just thought we would see how these two do.

"Hopefully it will be the first of many."

The short course event means the walk is not simply open to the able-bodied. Nine-year-old Dan Heslop, from Spennymoor, was taking part with mum Gillian, 44, while 12-year-old sister Chloe was taking part in the main walk.

Dan suffers from a genetic condition which keeps him in the chair, but was full of beans and looking forward to hitting the road.

Charity is the big winner from the Great North Walk and the Heslops were raising funds for the North Air Ambulance.

"We chose the air ambulance because it is not government-funded," said Gillian.

"We wanted to give something back because they do such a great job."