There was a considerable hike in foot traffic at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park on Saturday as more than a thousand locals took part in the annual Cancer Society of New Zealand Relay for Life.
Businesses, schools and community groups rallied at 11am for the traditional opening ceremony that saw cancer survivors complete a first lap of honour in celebration of their journeys back to health.
What followed was 12 hours of walking, running, talking and laughing as locals looped the track donned in colourful shirts and sneakers under sunny skies.
Cancer Society of New Zealand Hawke's Bay centre manager Trudy Kirk said the teams involved in this year's Relay for Life were in great spirits throughout the entire event.
"Everything went really well. I couldn't have asked for a better day," she said.