A PAIR of Knutsford schoolgirls have helped raise more than £2,000 for a breast cancer charity, after taking part in the London Moonwalk walking marathon event for Walk the Walk.

Knutsford Academy Year Nine students Abby Comline and Hannah Lynes, along with their mums Ali and Cathy, walked the 26.2-mile route in eight and a half hours through the night last weekend.

The annual event, now in its 19th year, sees around 17,000 walkers don decorated bras as they march through the centre of the capital under moonlight, raising awareness for the charity as well as money.

Abby said: “We thought it was a great opportunity to get involved and raise money for breast cancer.

“It was really exciting preparing, and we had friends do our hair and nails for the event. It was quite tiring towards the end with about six miles to go, but it was definitely worth it and I think I will probably do it again.”

Ali, Abby’s mum, said the girls took part after people in their lives had been impacted by breast cancer.

She said: “The girls have both got friends whose mums are undergoing treatment for breast cancer. There is also the family history, and friends in the town. It seems to have affected a lot of people we knew this year.

“It has affected the girls’ lives because they have been supporting their friends as they are going through it with their families.

“The girls were just incredible. They didn’t once complain, didn’t once say they wanted to give up. They just kept on going and kept the pace up.

“We were just thinking ‘we are tired, but compared to what some people are going through this is nothing’. When you cross the line, it’s emotional.”

The event kicked off from a huge tent on Clapham Common, where participants gather to warm up as a team and share their stories.

Volunteers lined the route through London, passing sites such as Buckingham Palace and the London Eye – lit up in pink for the occasion.

Rachael Ince, PE teacher at Knutsford Academy, said “We are really proud of Hannah and Abby – they are such a great pair of students who have a real ‘I can’ attitude.

“They have demonstrated determination and a positive approach whilst raising money for a great charity.”