Runners dressed as farmyard animals faced off over 5km in the annual Cow vs. Pig fun run at Freightliners City Farm.
The event was organised as a fundraiser for the inner-city petting zoo.
Cllr Dave Poyser of Hillrise ward said: “We’re here to raise money for the farm, we’re very excited about it, and we hope to be raising as much money as possible. [Freightliners] is really important for the kids around here, this may be a very rare experience for them to know what a farm is like.”
Hogging the limelight at the event was a French bulldog dressed in a pig onesie.
Also among the runners were a competing cow and pig, friends Beck Du Bock and Andrea Davis.
Ms Davis said: “I’m a pig lover and Beck is a cow lover, and we Googled pigs vs cows, and that’s the reason we’ve ended up here. We’ve come all the way from Oxford for this, that’s our dedication for our love of animals.”
Around 80 runners turned up to the event, running the track dressed in cow and pig onesies.
Event organiser Chris Large, in order to stand out, had plucked up the courage to dress as a chicken.
Speaking to Islington Now, Mr Large said: “The farm costs around £200,000 a year to run and we’re hoping to raise £10,000 today. These cows and pigs are people who love the farm and just want to support it.”
“As well as a petting zoo, Freightliners is a community project doing things like rehabilitation work for young offenders and school visits.
“Islington is the London borough with the least green space and this is a great place for young kids to come and play, and there are also adults with mental health issues that like to spend time here and get some respite.”
Before the race, the ‘animals’ were herded into a pen in nearby Paradise Park, and after inspection by the judges a top pig and cow were decided, with Ms Davis taking the top pig award.
The participant who raised the most money for Freightliners was another pig, Rupert Howard.
Winning the race with an impressive time of 18minutes 30 seconds was Dan Cadey. Speaking of his victory, Mr Cadey said: “this is a proud day for pigs everywhere!”
To donate to Freightliners Farm visit justgiving.co.uk
