RUNNERS taking part in the 28th annual Oxford Town and Gown race this weekend will be cheered over the start and finishing line by a family with a long connection to the event.

The 10km race, which is run in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, will be officially started by 22-year-old Christopher Grant, who has the condition.

Mr Grant, from Charlbury, West Oxfordshire, will be cheering on the competitors from the University Parks on Sunday morning, including his father Phillip, an experienced competitor who will this year be dressed as a medieval serving wench in the hope of raising about £400.

Mr Grant’s mother, Debbie, and his younger brother, Michael, are also set to help out on the day.

Mrs Grant said: “My husband has run each event for the last 15 years and my son has taken part in several of the races as well. My younger son, myself and my mother have also helped out on the day, so it’s a real family affair.”

She added: “My husband always runs in fancy dress. He was Wonder Woman last year and he’s been a fairy, a nurse and a native American. It seems to be female costume most years, and that gets him a lot of sponsorship.

“People say ‘well, if you’re running it wearing that, then I’ll gladly give you some money’, which is great.

“He used to have a choice over what he wore, but now his colleagues scour the Internet after every fun run to find him the costume for the following year.”

Entry to this year’s Town and Gown event has already closed, with thousands of runners set to pound their way through the city centre to raise about £50,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

Mrs Grant said: “It’s just a great family day out.

“It’s great to see whole families there to cheer on their relatives and there’s a great atmosphere in the parks with people having picnics and walking their dogs.

“It is a great cause, and something that is very close to us – especially as the type of muscular dystrophy Christopher has there’s no treatment and no cures at the moment.

“Every penny that comes in feels like you’re doing something to help and contributing to research into finding a cure.”

Thousands of runners have already snapped up all the available places for this year’s event.

More than 3,000 completed entry forms are currently being processed after what race organisers say was one of the quickest sell-outs in the Town and Gown’s 28-year history.

Annie Jackson, of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, said: “I think it has been an unusual year with people getting their entry forms in really quickly.

“Very few races nationally are down in numbers this year. Race directors are seeing more people running as more and more people take up the sport.”

The start of the course has been moved to St Cross Road this year to allow more people to take part.

Miss Jackson added: “It would be nice to increase the size of the event next year, but it’s too early to say. In the 14 years I’ve been doing it we have changed the course four or five times to increase numbers.”