The first Asda Foundation Sheffield 10K was today hailed a fantastic success as thousands of runners turned out for the latest addition to the city’s sporting calendar.
City centre streets were awash with colour as entrants made their way around the course cheered on by enthusiastic crowds.
Starting in Arundel Gate in the heart of the city, the route took runners on a journey along Charter Row and Ecclesall Road, before skirting the edges of Endcliffe Park.
It continued along Riverdale Road, along Endcliffe Vale Road, close to the Botanical Gardens, then down Brocco Bank and back to a thrilling city centre finish.
First across the finish line was Danny Collinge in a time of 32:38, with Liam Rabjohn second in 32:52 and Stuart Grange clocked 32:54 to take third place. Pauline Munro was the first woman home in 37:52, ahead of Emily Carr in second in 39:23 and Zoe Gmerek who finished third in 40:28.
Among those also taking part was Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Denise Fox, who – sporting a bright green wig - walked part of the route with Sheffield’s famous ‘pram man’ John Burkill, who is close to completing 1,000 charity runs for Macmillan Cancer Support.
They were joined by South Yorkshire marathon hero Ray Matthews, who recently made headlines worldwide after completing 75 marathons in 75 days to mark his 75th birthday.
A huge cash boost was run up for a host of good causes with many of the entrants supporting the event’s partner charities - youth housing charity Roundabout, Snowdrop Project, Macmillan Cancer Support, Brain Tumour Research and Support, Sheffield Hospitals Charity, St Luke’s Hospice, Cavendish Cancer Care, The Children’s Hospital Charity and the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.
A popular feature of the new event was the Arena Group Sheffield Family Fun Run, which took place straight after the 10K. The official partner charity of the Arena Group Family Fun Run was the Sick Children’s Trust, which supports the parents and family of children being cared for at Sheffield’s hospitals. And teams from across the region battled it out to be crowned the fastest in the race in the Sheffield 10K Corporate Challenge. The team results will be announced shortly.
Staged in partnership with Sheffield City Council, the Sheffield 10K is the latest addition to the hugely successful Asda Foundation 10K series, which includes runs in Leeds, York, Lincoln, Burnley, Nottingham, Bury, Leicester and Hull.
The series is organised by Run For All – the not-for-profit company behind the successful Yorkshire Half Marathon-Sheffield – and forms part of the legacy of the late Jane Tomlinson, who raised nearly £2m for charity by tackling a string of endurance challenges despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.
Asda Foundation Senior Manager Julie Ward said: “What a fantastic debut. We hope all those who took part had a memorable day, especially knowing that their efforts were also supporting some truly worthwhile local charities.”
Run For All Events Manager Lynne Preston said: “A huge thank you to everyone who helped make today’s debut Asda Foundation Sheffield 10K such a success, especially all the volunteers who gave up their time to make sure our runners had a fantastic day.
“A big thank you also to the city of Sheffield for turning out in force to support our runners – you gave them all the encouragement they could need.”
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure said: “Congratulations to everyone who took part in today’s race. It was a great atmosphere and very inspiring to see thousands of people of all ages and abilities running for so many worthy causes.
“I would like to thank all those who lined the streets, cheering on our runners to cross the finish line and helping to make it such an enjoyable occasion. I hope all those who took part today will be back again next year, along with many more who were inspired by today’s event, and I look forward to welcoming them all.”
Adrian Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Arena Group, said: “What a fantastic day! We’re thrilled to be able to support the Arena Group Sheffield Family Fun Run and to see so many families getting involved in running and supporting charity.”
