The event sees those taking part doused in powdered paint as they complete a mile-long run around the bay.
‘It’s the second year we’ve done it. We’ve got about 420 runners,’ said Sara Edmonds, PPBF’s head of fundraising.
‘Families of all ages can come down and get messy with paint.
‘They can walk, they can run, they can do part of the course if they want to. There’s no pressure. It’s just good fun.
‘Every person who signs up also gets a T-shirt, a medal, sunglasses and fruit, which was kindly donated by the Coop.’
Funds raised by the event go to the charity, which provides support for local families with premature babies and critically ill children.
‘One of the main things we do, and one of the biggest costs we have, is the flats that we own in Southampton.
‘We have three flats right opposite the hospital, so parents and families can stay there when their baby or critically ill child is sick for as long as they need. So they’ll get flown out, sometimes on an emergency, and then if we have a flat available they can go straight into that, which means they can be just across the road from their baby,’ said Mrs Edmonds.
Emma Rees, who attended the fun run with friends and family, stayed in one of the flats while her twin daughters, nine-month-old Hettie and Daphne, were in hospital.
‘They were born at 26 weeks. We spent 202 days in the NICU,’ she said.
‘Without the foundation, I don’t think we would have coped as well. The flats they have in Southampton were just life-saving. They provide comfort and a home, which is so nice when you’re going through such a traumatic time.’
Although too soon to say exactly what the fundraising outcomes will be yet for this year, Mrs Edmonds was quietly confident it was set to surpass last year’s, which was just shy of £4,000.
‘I don’t want to give a figure until we know, but I imagine we’ll be breaking that this year,’ she said.
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