​It was a great day - but we’re glad it’s over.

That was the verdict from the Bath Half half dozen.

The Chronicle has been following the progress of six runners backed by sportswear firm New Balance.

The most distinctive member of the team was 29-year-old Emily Knight, who was raising money for her employer, hospice charity Dorothy House.

She entered into the spirit of the occasion by dressing as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and persuading her friend Chris Barstow - a semi-finalist in TV’s the Krypton Factor - to dress as a house.

Emily, from Corsham, said: “I had an amazing day and was absolutely humbled by the all the incredible support and cheers along the route.”

She came in in two hours and 19 minutes and added: “I would definitely recommend taking part in costume.”

Also running for the charity was her 23-year-old colleague Emily Brown from Timsbury, who finished in two hours and 38 minutes.

The half marathon first-timer said: “I thought the atmosphere was brilliant. There were so many supporters out and people playing music from their houses was good fun.

“I found the actual running fine until I hit about nine miles and then it started to get painful so I think I lost quite a bit of time then.”

University of Bath web developer Andy Savin, 31, from Twerton, said he was disappointed with his time of two hours 41 minutes but said the race had been harder than he expected.

“I think the most memorable thing was the number of people who were out supporting everyone. Every time I was starting to slow down I'd hear people shouting words of encouragement and I'd pick up the pace. Despite not being able to move today I think I'll definitely give it a go next year to see if I can get a better time.”

Experienced runner, PR consultant David Pippett, from Rush Hill, came in in one hour and 54 minutes and reckons to have raised £700 for Bath Cats and Dogs Home and £500 for a new sports pavilion at St Mary’s Primary School at Timsbury.

The 36-year-old said: “It was a truly fantastic day. As I hadn’t run the event since the field was expanded to 11,000, I was a little anxious that running with so many others would be very difficult, but after the first half a mile it thinned out and the support along the way really pushed me along.”

Dance student Andrew Burnett, 19, who lives in the city centre, now has the half marathon bug after a time of one hour and 50 minutes, and will be entering again next year.

Dressed in a tiger costume, he raised £700 for work to stop poaching in Africa.

He said he had been forced to crawl across the finish line after his knee gave way but added: “I was elated that I finished it.”

Driving instructor Steve Paraskeva, 45, from Englishcombe was raising money for the RNLI and managed a time of one hour and 56 minutes.

He said he had attempted eight-minute miles and overcame a hamstring problem at the 10-mile stage.

“Things seemed to go to plan, the training was paying off, the atmosphere was fantastic and the crowd just kept pushing you on. I just focused on my form and kept going.”