Heythrop Park, near Chipping Norton, will stomp to the sound of 4,000 feet on Sunday, with its sixth annual Race for Life.

About 2,000 women are expected to take part in the event, which raises an estimated £124,000 for research into cancer, and brings the county's total Race for Life fundraising to a whopping £624,000.

Organiser Vikki Savery said: "We raised £124,000 in 2005, 2006 and 2007 at Chipping Norton, which is incredible.

"It is always a fabulously attended race, with a great atmosphere and we're hoping this year will be no exception."

Kicking off the festivities and helping the ladies warm-up for the race will be Sharon Canning, who has faced tough challenges of her own.

Mrs Canning, 48, from Bicester, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1993 and underwent gruelling treatment.

After kicking cancer into touch she was asked to do the warm-up at the Chipping Norton race and has been doing so ever since.

She said: "I basically lead a ten-minute aerobic warm-up routine and stretches for the 2,000 women who take part. It's great fun and also a great honour."

After the warm-up, Mrs Canning will join the other competitors for the 5km race - including Ann Ashdown and her daughters Hannah, 18 and Louise, 20.

Mrs Ashdown, 52, took part in last year's Race for Life just weeks after finishing gruelling cancer treatment.

The Chipping Norton School assistant headteacher said: "Taking part in Race for Life so soon after finishing treatment for breast cancer was a very emotional experience, but I am a determined person and it was so inspiring my daughters and I have decided to make it an annual event."

Ms Ashdown, who lives in Witney, was diagnosed with cancer in June 2006, just a week after she went to her GP suffering from swelling in her breast.

She said: "We raised around £800 last year which was fabulous and this year we'd like to raise as much as that again."

Customers of Ambassador Taxis in Chipping Norton are also getting ready to dig deep in their pockets after owner Nicky Hancock and her daughter Amy-Louise complete Race for Life.

Amy-Louise, 16, who is a pupil at Chipping Norton School, said: "Mum has been telling all her customers what we are doing and they are being very generous because Race for Life is for such a worthy cause."

Race for Life is the UK's largest women-only fundraising event where women of all ages come together to walk, jog, or run 5km to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Every pound raised by Race for Life goes directly into research conducted here in the county at the Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre at the Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals in Headington.

The event is Oxfordshire's fourth and final Race for Life event this year.

More than 6,500 women took part in three races at Oxford's University Park during the weekend June 7-8, raising £500,000.

The race starts at 11am. For more details, visit www.raceforlife.org