BREAKING records on a run and breaking bricks for fun were the highlights of an action-packed fund-raising day.

With a bouncy castle, brick-smashing martial arts demonstrations, an inflatable slide and a penalty shootout competition, people were spoiled for choice at Worcester's Warndon Villages Fun Run and Fun Day at the Lyppard Grange Community Centre yesterday.

Two course records were broken - Helen Taylor beat the women's 10km record with a time of 38 minutes 31 seconds, and Christopher Wilson of Worcester Athletic Club broke the 15km record with a time of 51 minutes and 27 seconds. Hundreds of runners gathered on the starting line for either the 5km, 10km or 15km race.

The winner of the 5km run, Simon Hall, aged 37, from Anne Crescent, Fairfield, Evesham, battled the heat to break away from the field.

He said: "I was out on my own, which is quite difficult. It's hard to push yourself when there's no one really close to you."

He was followed across the line by Nick Hooper, 41, of the Perdiswell Leisure Centre-based Black Pear Joggers, and Richard Walsh, 23, of Malvern Joggers, who came in third.

Jake Watson, 11, of Lyppard Hanford and who attends Blessed Edward Oldcorne School, showed strength beyond his years as the first junior across the line, coming seventh overall.

Angela Smith, 35, of Bradford Place, Nunnery Wood, ran the 5km race with her son Matthew, six, and daughter Amelia, five.

Mrs Smith said: "This is my third year. My children have both done the children's race but today they will be running the 5km race together."

One of the highlights of the day was a demonstration of martial arts by members of White Lotus Martial Arts, who demonstrated their strength and fitness on punch bags and bricks.

Ben Roberts, 36, of Aconbury Farm, near Newtown Road, risked being upstaged by his six-year-old son Charlie in a contest to see who could land the most punches on a punchpad in a minute.

Dad landed 274 punches, but Charlie was not far behindwith 250.

Money raised on the day, which has yet to be counted but is expected to be more than £1,300, will be split between Worcester's Maggs Day Centre and St Richard's Hospice, and the County Air Ambulance.