MORE than 450 runners took part in the annual St Clare Hospice 10k run which is expected to raise over �15,000 for the Hastingwood-based charity.

Great Britain paralympian hopeful Richard Chiassaro, from Harlow, won the wheelchair race despite crashing when he lost control on a bend.

Richard - who also won the race two years ago - said he was delighted to be able to support St Clare, adding: “It’s fantastic. Everything it does is fantastic.”

Richard, who is currently number one in the country in the 100m and 200m wheelchair event and second in the UK for the 400m, will find out on July 9 whether he has been selected for the Great Britain Paralympian team for the London 2012 Games.

The mens and womens race was a double success for Thurrock Harriers – and both the men’s and women’s race winners were taking part in the St Clare Hospice race for the first time.

Alex Houghton, the first runner home in 34mins 11secs, said: “It’s a perfect day for running. It’s a great event and it’s always nice to help a charity and I hope St Clare is able to raise a lot of money from today. It was a great course and well marshaled– fantastic.”

The first woman home was Alex’s Thurrock Harriers colleague Tracy Swindell in 39mins 08secs. She said: “I hadn’t run a 10k for 12 years. It was a lovely course.”