81,000 turn out for Komen Race for the Cure in Rome.

A record 81,000 people took part in Rome's Komen Race for the Cure - despite persistent rain showers -  on the morning of Sunday 19 May.

The 2019 edition marked 20 years of the event which raises funds and awareness of breast cancer, and was founded in 1982 by American Susan G. Komen.

Speaking at the event, the US ambassador to Italy Lewis Eisenberg stated: "It is a miracle what you are doing - the race was begun in the United States but in your country it has succeeded more than any other place in the world, it is a challenge also for other nations."

The Rome race brought to an end a four-day event at the Circus Maximus, with all funds raised going towards funding educational and early detection programmes to help fight breast cancer.

Another race in the southern city of Bari attracted 20,000 runners, meaning that there was a total of more than 100,000 participants in Italy this year.

Photo RomaToday