Great South Run: Baffins Fit Club take on the Great South Run for fallen friend

Emotions were running high as a group of people from the Baffins Fit Club ran the ten mile course in memory of their beloved friend, who died in April of this year.

Clare Rutter, who passed away at only 48 due to returning breast cancer, had a love for running with her best friends and this year they marked their friendship by running the race for her.

She had taken part in 14 of the running events alongside one of her closest friends, Nikki Wright, 54, who ran her 15th without her fallen friend, and was extremely emotional as she came across the finish line.

Clare, who was Portsmouth born and bred, battled with the disease for two years, but it came back and she sadly died in April.

Nikki said: ‘She was a fighter, she always was and even a few days before, she walked to Queen Alexandra to have her chemotherapy. She had it for two years and we thought that she was all clear, but then it came back.’

‘It was her favourite race. We did it 14 times together and this is the first year without Clare.’

Another runner in the group was Helen Mayfield, founder of the Baffins Fit Club, who said that the race was an ‘emotional’ one as every turn made her remember something about her friend.

The group have managed to raise more than £2,000 for Breast Cancer Now, which helped Clare during her treatment, to raise awareness for and help support the charity.

Helen said: ‘She was the one pushing us through but this year, we have all helped each other.

‘There were so many triggers along the route that made us remember doing it with her, which made it very emotional.’

The group of women all wore tops with a photo of Clare at one of the last Great South Runs she ever did as they took part in the city run together.

Helen added: ‘It is always a nice event, the crowds are amazing, but it was just a very emotional and difficult year for us.’