A record 16,000 people took part in today's Reebok Bristol Half Marathon.

Everyone from professional athletes to pensioners and cancer patients ran, jogged or walked the 13-mile route cheered on by crowds of well wishers along the way.

Glorious autumn sunshine meant a few runners suffered in the heat and had to drop out – some just yards from the finish line.

There were big cheers for the brave souls who completed the half marathon in sweltering fancy dress costumes.

Two runners dressed up as endangered white rhinos to raise money for a wildlife charity and there were ducks, three Scooby Doos, clowns, a parrot, a penguin, a plethora of superheroes and a banana.

First across the line in one hour and one minute was self-funded professional wheelchair racer Jason Gill, 38, from near Chester.

He said: "The cobblestones around Queen Square were a nightmare and my ribs took a battering, especially as they were on the last stage when I was already tired.

"The weather was perfect though and the crowds were just in the right spots, egging us on. I will be back again next year."

Tom Payn, 28, from Portsmouth, was the fastest male runner achieving a time of one hour, five minutes and 48 seconds while Birhan Dagne, 30, from London was the fastest woman with a time of one hour, 14 minutes and 18 seconds.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Kip Keino, who is chairman of the Republic of Kenya's Olympic Committee, presented medals to the winners.

Over the next four years Bristol and Kenya will work together to explore opportunities for sporting, cultural and economic collaboration leading up to Bristol hosting the Kenyan Olympic team in 2012.