Race news: Asda Foundation City of Lincoln 10K and Arena Group Lincoln Mini and Junior Run - March 21 & 22, 2014
Former England football manager Graham Taylor was back on home turf as he officially launched the new-look Asda Foundation City of Lincoln 10K and Arena Group Lincoln Mini and Junior Run.
The races on March 21 and 22 next year will bring thousands of runners and spectators on to the city’s historic streets and raise tens of thousands of pounds for good causes.
It will be the 19th running of the popular Lincoln 10K event, which for the first time in its history is being organised by Run For All, part of the lasting legacy of the late Jane Tomlinson CBE who raised almost £2m for charity through a series of endurance challenges, despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.
The organisation has entered into a partnership with City of Lincoln Council, which has organised the event since its beginnings, and is aiming to build on the 10K’s success to make it even bigger and better in future.
Attracting people from across the UK and abroad, the event boasts a route that takes in some of Lincoln’s historic landmarks including the cathedral and the city’s Roman Walls.
And youngsters aged between 9 and 14 will be encouraged to pull on their trainers to take part in the Arena Group City of Lincoln Mini and Junior Runs, which take place on the Saturday 21st March.
Graham, a former Lincoln City player who started his managerial career at the club, leading the Imps to the 4th Division title in 1976, said: “Lincoln is a wonderful city and I am delighted to help launch such an excellent event as the 10K.
“I’m sure there will be a brilliant atmosphere on the day. The runners will get great support and, along with the achievement of crossing the finish line, they will have the satisfaction of helping some really deserving charities.”
Cllr Donald Nannestad, Portfolio Holder for Recreational Services and Health at the City of Lincoln Council, said: “The 10K has a great tradition and we are excited by working with Run For All to improve it still further. We look forward to welcoming people to Lincoln for what we are sure will be a great event.”
Tristan Batley-Kyle, event lead at Run For All, said: “Lincoln is a beautiful city and its many historic buildings provide the perfect back-drop for a great 10K. It will be our first event in 2015 and we are sure it will get the season off to a fantastic start.”
Run For All’s stable of events already includes 10Ks in Leeds, York, Hull and Burnley, the Leeds Half Marathon and the Yorkshire Half Marathon-Sheffield. Its sister organisation also runs the hugely-popular Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon.
Julie Ward, of the Asda Foundation, which supports Run For All’s 10K series, said: “The 10Ks in Leeds, York, Burnley and Hull are very successful events that bring a lot of enjoyment and raise much-needed funds for charity. Lincoln is a great addition to the series and we are delighted to be involved.”
Participants in the 10K can choose to run for fun or to raise funds for any cause of their choice. They are particularly encouraged to support one of the event’s official partner charities: LIVES, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, Lincolnshire Air Ambulance, the Brains Trust, the Mayor of Lincoln’s Charity and the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.
Siobhan Curtis, Jane Tomlinson Appeal legacy manager, said: “The Asda Foundation 10K series continues to go from strength to strength and it is great that the programme of events has now been extended to include Lincoln. It is sure to be a fantastic day, not only for the thousands of runners who will take part but also the many charities which will benefit from the event.”
Emily Ford, Challenge Events Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “We are incredibly proud and excited to be one of the official charities of the City of Lincoln 10K, and hope that many amazing runners will raise hundreds of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support. This vital support will help ensure no one faces cancer alone. To get involved, call 0300 1000 200 today. And please remember, we’re here for you too. If you’d like support, information or just to chat, call us free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or visit macmillan.org.uk.”
Tessa Watson, Head of Fundraising at brainstrust, said: “brainstrust is delighted to be an official charity for the City of Lincoln 10K. The money raised will help us build a community for local brain cancer patients by hosting ‘Meet Ups’, organising days for carers, setting up a peer support network and enabling more outreach work with a designated support specialist. Please support brainstrust so that we can help more people in the area living with a terrifying brain tumour diagnosis.”
Stephen Hyde of LIVES said: “We are thrilled to be part of this year’s City of Lincoln 10K. LIVES is a vital charity in Lincolnshire and the awareness from such a prestigious event will be vital for our charity. We would love people to contact us if they can run for us in March, this is a great way to help us towards raising the £1m a year we need to help save lives in Lincolnshire.’’
Emma Young, Fundraising Manager (Lincs) for Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Run For All has chosen the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance as one of the charity partners for the Lincoln 10K! We are hoping to get a really big team taking part in the event and to see lots of green T-shirts amongst the runners on the day! As a local charity we rely completely upon the support of local people and events such as the 10K.”
Veronica Brien, Head of Fundraising and Marketing for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said: “We are delighted to be one of the chosen charities to benefit from the 2015 City of Lincoln 10K event. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to have numerous supporters who have participated and chosen to support St Barnabas by raising whatever they can, many of which have donned various items of fancy dress to complete the race. We’re hoping to have a record number of supporters for 2015 including a staff team from across the Hospice. The event itself is wonderfully atmospheric and brings together the local communities we serve. We are grateful to anyone who is taking part and wishes to help not only raise crucial funds but helps raise awareness of the support available to the people of Lincolnshire at a time when they need it most.”
The official partner charity of the Arena Group Mini and Junior Run is St Andrew’s Children’s Hospice, with all young runners encouraged to raise a small amount in sponsorship to support its Lincolnshire centre.
St Andrew’s is the only children’s hospice in Lincolnshire and provides care for children and young adults, who have a life limiting illness, from across the county. The Hospice provides specialist respite care on an in-patient and day-care basis, pain and symptom control and end of life care. As importantly, the Hospice also provides care and support for the patient’s family, including practical and emotional support, special care for siblings and bereavement support. The service costs £1.8m a year to run – with only a tiny 3 per cent of it coming from Government funding.
Angela Greenfield, Events Co-ordinator at St Andrew’s said: “We’re really pleased to have been chosen as the official charity of the Arena Group Mini and Junior Run. We support around 90 children or young people and their families each year, all of them are going through the toughest experience you can imagine.
“The work the hospice does, not only in its care, but also in supporting the siblings and families of patients, really is invaluable and just doesn’t exist elsewhere. We hope as many young people as possible who take part in the runs will consider raising a small amount for us – every penny will help to support the hospice and the young people it cares for.”
Adrian Fitzpatrick, managing director of the Arena Group, whose support will allow every child to take part in the Mini and Junior Runs for free, said: “We are absolutely delighted to support the City of Lincoln Junior and Mini runs. We are excited to be welcoming a new event to the Run For All series, having sponsored children’s runs in Leeds and York since 2010. We are very much looking forward to seeing hundreds of youngsters running through the streets of Lincoln next year.”
For more information and to enter the Asda Foundation City of Lincoln 10K or the Arena Group Mini or Junior Run go to www.runforall.com. Runners who sign up quickly can currently take advantage of an early bird offer
