FUNDRAISERS are celebrating after raising record amounts of cash for Oxford Children's Hospital at this year's OX5 run.

Donations have topped £122,000 after nearly 1,000 runners, joggers and walkers took on the five-mile Blenheim Palace course in March to support the county's sickest children.

However, if they can hit the £150,000 mark then it will mean the event has raised £1million in the run's 15 year history and with the deadline for donations on June 1 people are being urged to make one final push to the target.

Oxford Children's Hospital head of fundraising Eleanor Jones said the charity was over the moon to have had its best OX5 fundraising year yet.

She said: "This is such an important event for us because it is a time when the local community, hospital staff, patient and parents and local businesses all come together to show their support for our wonderful hospital.

"There is always an incredible atmosphere, but this year, as we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the hospital and were blessed with a glorious Spring day, it was extra special.

"The fun run has been going for 15 years now and is incredibly close to reaching the £1 million milestone, which is just amazing."

Parents Dale Harris and Leah Goodson and their daughter Mya Harris, from Cowley, were part of the Oxford Mail's initial campaign ten years ago to raise funds to build the hospital.

A decade on and the 14-year-old who has spina bifida has had continuous care from the hospital.

Mr Harris, who has taken on the OX5 ten times, previously said his family will forever be indebted for the help he has received.

He said: "It is good to know that the hospital is getting the support year in year out and its fantastic for parents and children in the community.

"As a family we have always been very fortunate to have the commitment from the children's hospital on our doorstep for Mya and they have always looked after her.

"But we can always do better and do whatever we can to keep improving, I would encourage fundraisers to do as much as they can to hit that final total."

Final funds for this year's OX5 will be collected over the coming days and all the money raised will go towards this year's big push to raise £2m overall to go towards a new 62-bedroom Ronald McDonald House facility for parents to stay close by to their children.

As well as funding vital equipment for the children's hospital based at the John Radcliffe.

Lindsay Balaam, the mum of five-year-old Harry, yesterday marked the final round of chemotherapy for the youngster who was diagnosed in November with a rare type of cancer, Burkitt's Lymphoma.

She said: "This year's OX5 total is an amazing amount which will benefit so many children, for us it would be things like the specialist monitors which will make a huge difference.

"Harry couldn’t have the equipment overnight when he first came as there wasn’t any so wasn't able to have extra medicine overnight.

"But the hospital has been amazing looking after Harry and making him feel so comfortable. Six months ago I wouldn’t have imagined we would be here and on his last day of chemotherapy.

"We are so grateful."

The mum from Bracknell, Berkshire, added that she would encourage anyone to help bump up the donations as you never know when it could be someone close to you who needs the support.

Ms Jones added: "We are incredibly grateful to the Oxford Mail, our sponsors Allen Associates and Blenheim Palace for their tremendous support and helping us raise such a fabulous sum that will really make a difference for our young patients and their families.

Sponsorship can be collected until June 1, for more details see contact charity@ouh.nhs.uk or call 01865743444 and mention OX5 donation.