2017 Ealing Half Marathon Announces Lead Charities
Organisers of the award-winning Ealing Half Marathon have announced their Lead Charities for the 2017 race which takes place on Sunday 24th September.
The Lead Charities for the 2017 Ealing Half Marathon will be Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society, following popular request for these two much-loved charities.
The Ealing Half Marathon has been voted the UK’s best half marathon at The Running Awards for the last three years, and has once again reached the shortlist for The 2017 Running Awards. A firm fixture in the running calendar, it is well known for its huge community support and lively atmosphere, each year attracting athletes from near and far wanting to soak up the #EalingFeeling. The 2017 race will be the sixth Ealing Half Marathon and is expected to be the biggest and best race yet.
As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, the Ealing Half Marathon is quite unique in that all money raised by the race is invested straight back into projects and activities within the local community.
Furthermore, these charity projects will be supplemented by a special programme involving local Ealing schools. The race will be offering special PTA (Parent and Teacher Association) packages, whereby a percentage of the money raised by each school will be donated to local charity projects for Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society. It is a perfect reflection of the Ealing Half Marathon’s commitment to the community, whilst still supporting many valuable causes on a larger scale.
Indeed, the Ealing Half Marathon has huge international appeal and is looking forward to welcoming over 7,500 runners from over 25 countries worldwide next autumn. It is expected that general places for the 2017 race will sell out in advance, as they did for 2016, and those wishing to be on the start line in Lammas Park in September are encouraged to secure their place early.
Race Director Sandra Courtney commented: “We are delighted to announce Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society as our joint Lead Charities for the 2017 Ealing Half Marathon. Both charities have huge appeal and hold huge meaning to many people, and we are looking forward to raising substantial amounts for both thanks also to our supporting partnership with JustGiving. The Ealing Half Marathon is well known for investing in year-round community projects that make sport and fitness available to all, and this year we will be looking to make a difference on many levels, including within local schools and charities.
This will be the sixth edition of a race that sees many athletes return year after year to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere and warm welcome they know they will receive in Ealing. As we wait to see whether we can secure an unprecedented fourth win at The Running Awards for the UK’s best half marathon, we are looking forward to welcoming runners of all ages and abilities to our event in September, including plenty of people running to raise money for our official charities.”
Kate Smith, Sports Team Executive at Cancer Research UK said: “Cancer Research UK is delighted to be lead charity partner for the 2017 Ealing Half Marathon. We’re really excited to be involved again in this fantastic event and very much look forward to working closely with the organisers and local community to make this the biggest year to date. Our life-saving work is funded entirely by the generosity of our supporters, so every step we make towards beating cancer relies on every pound, and every runner.”
Suzy Edington, Events Fundraising Manager at Alzheimer’s Society said: “Since 2014 runners in the Ealing Half Marathon have raised an amazing £130,000 for Alzheimer’s’ Society, and we’re thrilled to be back as lead charity partner again in 2017. Dementia affects over 850,000 people in the UK and is the biggest health and social care challenge we currently face. The support we receive from Ealing Half Marathon runners and community is crucial to helping us to provide vital information, advice and support people with dementia, their families and carers.”
The Ealing Half Marathon is a UKA measured course covering a traffic-free route around West London. The 13.1-mile single lap course takes runners through parts of Central Ealing, Montpelier, Pitshanger, West Ealing, Hanwell and St Stephens before returning to Lammas Park.
Public entries for the Ealing Half Marathon 2017 are open. Entry costs £38-£40 for affiliated / non-affiliated runners until 30th April 2017, and the fee rises to £40-£42 between 1st May – 31st July 2017 to. A total of 8,000 places are available and the organisers are expecting the race to sell out by the end of July.
Go to http://www.ealinghalfmarathon.com to sign up to the 2017 race. You can also like the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ealinghalf and follow @EalingHalf #EalingFeeling on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news about the Ealing Half Marathon.
Photo © Dan Tsantilis.