A RECORD number of women will take part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Gateshead this weekend.

The organisers say this year's entry of 2,649 woman is up by more than 1,000 on last year, when 1,625 joined the event at Saltwell Park.

Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, supported by Tesco, is a series of women-only, 5km walks or runs, raising money for research into cancer.

Many women, like cancer survivor Tracey Barker, from Washington, have very personal reasons for signing up.

Tracey, now 30, survived a rare form cancer at the age of 21. She has gone on to have a "miracle" son, Jake, now five, despite the side-effects of treatment, which meant her body went through an early menopause when she was 22.

Tracey feels she owes her life to cancer researchers after being diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, a type of cancer rarely seen in adults, just three weeks away from her 21st birthday.

Instead of spending her birthday painting the town red, Tracey was attached to a chemotherapy drip at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle.

She was treated with seven courses of chemotherapy and bone marrow rescue.

This is the third time Tracey has signed up for Cancer Research UK's Race for Life and she will be cheered on by Jake and her husband, Kevin.

Tracey said: "If it wasn't for the kind of research funded by Cancer Research UK, I wouldn't be here today and I wouldn't have the opportunity to see my son grow up."

Every week, 120 women in the North-East are diagnosed with cancer. Similar events are taking place at Darlington, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle.