“I made mention of that in the opening,” Rotary Club of Wodonga Central’s Glenn Mackinnon said afterwards. 

“‘We were going to cancel it this morning because we’re not used to running it in such good weather’.”

After a couple of wet Mother’s Days, the 2017 event saw clear conditions and about 600 people, triple last year’s total, tackled the 5-kilometre run or walk at Sumsion Gardens.

The Mother’s Day Classic, held nationally since 1998, raises funds and awareness for breast cancer research, with the Border version expected to bring in between $15,000 and $18,000.

“For the first time this year, just before the start we had dancers there break out into a flash dance mob with a bit of rap music, so that was a bit different,” Mr Mackinnon said.

A number of walkers embraced a pink theme, like Wodonga’s Jo Dunn in her first year of participating.

“Everyone was cheering each other on and having fun, we were getting high fives and laughs and giggles,” she said. “It was really good, I thought.”

Mrs Dunn said knowing women who were fighting breast cancer had encouraged her group to register.

“To raise awareness and think of the ones that we’ve lost but also support the ones who’re dealing with it as well,” she said.

“Especially when it’s close to home with family and friends that have had it, you go, ‘Ooh, maybe I should have a check’.

“Plus our own fitness and getting out with the kids and just having a really good day instead of being stuck at home. Just have some fun with it, really.”