Jog for Jugs, the viral campaign raising breast cancer awareness and funds for the charity CoppaFeel!, has smashed its cheeky new target of £8,008 within just five days of the campaign going live.
Founder Becky Chapple (28), a regional manager for Amazon, and her fellow ‘Titty Committee’ have now ramped up the target to an ambitious new total of £18,008.
Since its launch on Saturday, the campaign has spread like wildfire, with over 450 participants now contributing to the JustGiving page and nominating their friends to do the same. As Jog for Jugs’ original target of £1,000 was hit in just two short hours, Becky is confident that the new target can also be reached:
“We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who has already donated, and we’re beyond excited to see what happens next”, she said. When we originally planned the campaign over a socially-distanced glass or two of wine, £8,008 going towards CoppaFeel! was our wildest dream.
“To reach that number in just five days is beyond anything we expected, and we’re hopeful that as more joggers nominate their friends, we’ll hit our new target. We’ve been thrilled to see so many ‘Check Yourselfies’ – for us, the really important thing is that everyone learns how to check their boobs or pecs for changes, and does so regularly.”
Jog for Jugs launched last Saturday (10th April) with a video starring national treasure Lorraine Kelly and a host of other famous faces including Lee McKenzie, Emma-Louise Connolly and Joanna Vanderham. Since then, the video has been widely shared across social media and has been viewed a massive 110,000 times.
The idea for the campaign emerged as during lockdown, Becky received the unfortunate news that her mum Susan had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, the signs were caught early, and swift treatment has meant that her future looks bright. However, after researching the disease over the course of her mum’s treatment, Becky discovered that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lives, and that regardless of gender everybody should be checking themselves regularly.
Becky and her friends devised Jog for Jugs to shine a spotlight on the issue and to help reduce the stigma of talking about boobs.
Participants are encouraged to jog/walk/cycle/swim/SUP 8km, to donate £8 to the dedicated JustGiving page, to nominate 8 pals to do the same and – most importantly – to share a ‘Check Yourselfie’ on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #JogforJugs, to represent getting into the habit of regularly checking boobs or pecs for concerning changes.
The campaign is particularly timely due to the recent news that 2 in 5 people have been too scared to visit their doctor due to Covid-19, and CoppaFeel! is deeply concerned that this will result in a flurry of late-stage diagnoses once lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.
To donate to the Jog for Jugs Campaign please visit
Record-breaking Scottish cyclist Josh Quigley has thrown his support behind plans for the return of the Tour de Forth sportive, which was cancelled last year due to Covid-19.
The annual event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities, including its main beneficiary Cash for Kids, with both elite and amateur cyclists taking on the challenge of a 97.3km sportive across the East of Scotland.
Organisers are now hoping that restrictions will be eased enough for this year’s event to go ahead on Sunday 6th June. More than 130 riders are already automatically signed up after agreeing to carry over their plans from last year. If restrictions are eased in the coming weeks, new applications will be opened.
Ahead of the planned event, Josh is backing plans to encourage cyclists of all ages and abilities to take part in a ‘virtual Tour de Forth’ – raising funds for charity as well as improving their fitness levels and mental health.
A series of online challenges are already underway, including an 800km total distance challenge for beginners – the equivalent of cycling from Edinburgh to Brighton!
For Livingston-born Josh, cycling became a passion that helped him tackle his own mental health challenges. The 28-year-old decided to make the sport his full-time occupation and last year he shaved six minutes off the North Coast 500 world record, completing the 516-mile route in just 31 hours and 19 minutes.
Josh, who’s currently recovering after a cycling accident in Dubai, said:“I’m absolutely delighted to be involved with Tour De Forth and it’s a huge honour for me to be an ambassador of this event.
“I am really passionate about the sport of cycling and its potential to change and transform lives. I know firsthand the benefits of cycling as it’s something that helped me overcome mental health issues and achieve things on the bike that I never dreamed would be possible.
“When I started cycling a few years ago, I would have been one of the last people to finish an event like this. But since then I have gone on to cycle around the world and break records on the bike. This is what was possible through hard work, dedication and having the courage to step outside my comfort zone and do things that made me uncomfortable.
“I believe that the Tour De Forth is a great opportunity for people to take on a challenge that will push them to go further than they have been before whilst having fun in a positive and supportive team environment”
In 2019, the Tour de Forth race featured more than 800 riders, taking part in the traditional 97.3km route and a shorter 44km ‘nouveau’ route. The event has become a major fixture in the Scottish cycling calendar with individuals and businesses from across the country taking part.
Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids works in partnership with the organisers, with donations helping the charity to support young people throughout Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk, disadvantaged through poverty, sickness or disability.
Charity Manager, Victoria Hendry, said:“The Tour de Forth has become a huge part of the cycling calendar in Edinburgh and the commitment and passion from both amateur and elite cyclists has been incredibly inspiring.
“In 2019, we raised more than £21,000 for Cash for Kids bringing the total fundraising from the Tour de Forth event to over £200,000. I’m continually amazed by how committed everyone is. It’s a challenging event, but the support people show to each other and the sense of fun on the day is amazing.
“While we’re not yet in a position to open applications for 2021’s event, we’re all working tirelessly behind the scenes and crossing our fingers, hoping it can go ahead.
“In the meantime, I’d urge cyclists, either new or established to cycling and people looking to work on their lockdown-fitness to sign up to our virtual event via the Tour de Forth website.
In exchange for a £100 donation to Cash for Kids or raising £100 through your own fundraising efforts you can take part in online cycles and a variety of individual challenges. It’s a great way to get back to fitness, as well as helping to make a real difference to the lives of young people in the region at an incredibly difficult time.”
Tour de Forth Chairman, Neil Davidson, said:“I am delighted Josh has agreed to join as ambassador for Tour de Forth. Josh has excelled with his attempts at various world cycling records, especially when he completed the North Coast 500 in just over 31 hours.
“It takes lots of training, preparation, and a real determination to achieve that kind of record and I hope his inspiration will help a lot of our participants in both the Virtual challenge and to complete the Tour de Forth event on Sunday 6th June.”
To take part in the Virtual Tour de Forth, and sign-up for updates on the 2021 race plans, head to:
A Scottish Ambulance Service technician has organised a charity run from Stirling Castle to Edinburgh Castle to raise awareness of Motor Neuron Disease (MND) after losing his dad to the disease.
Sauchie resident Gregor Miller, based at Glenrothes Station, set up the Castle Crusade run last year and has been in training since October last year (2020).
The run was originally meant to be held on March 28 this year but was postponed because of Covid. It has been rescheduled for May 23, 2021 with safety precautions in place.
Joining the Crusade are Ryan Stevenson (Hearts FC), Colin Cameron (Hearts & Scotland), Simon Ramsden (Motherwell), Tam McManus (Hibernian), Willie Conquer (Referee) and Scott Hastings (Watsonians & Scotland Rugby Union). Gregor is hoping to confirm more sporting legends to join the event.
Gregor is raising money for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland and the Euan Macdonald Centre.
Gregor lost his dad, Campbell Miller, to MND two years ago. MND is a progressive degenerative disease of the motor neurones in the brain and wasting of the muscles which affects people of all ages. Campbell was a police officer, serving the Alloa and Falkirk areas during his time on the force.
Gregor, 49, said: “My inspiration for this event has come from losing my dad to this disease. My dad was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in May 2017 and passed away in 2019.
“He was a keen sportsman and played football for the police and in later life, until his diagnosis, played golf three times a week. Dad only realised he had a problem when he could no longer grip a golf club. As you could imagine this hit him hard.
“Within a few months he had to retire the clubs, quickly followed by his driving licence. For a man who was never at home due to social events, this was a devastating blow. Living with MND and caring for a sufferer of MND was horrific. Dad was given two years to live and died within two weeks of the two years.”
Gregor said his mum became his dad’s full time carer. He said in the last few months, his dad – who was a police officer for 32yrs in the then Central Scotland force – lost full power of his arms, legs and the ability to hold up his head.
He added: “There were some really tough days at this point as his mind was fully active along with his eyes. I would chat to him and tell him it’s all ok and that mum will be alright.
“He cried but never complained. This was hard to watch from a son’s point of view who only ever knew a dad that tried to win at everything physical.
“In the last month his pain become increasingly worse, he was unable to eat solid food and lost his speech to a difficult whisper. MND had won and with pain relief he slept and died.”
Despite this, Gregor said his dad kept his sense of humour throughout, always had a smile and never asked “why me?”
With current Covid restrictions, unfortunately the public will not be able to take part in the run. At any one time, only four people will be running the route. Two people, Gregor and Ryan Stevenson (Hearts FC) will be running the entire 40 miles while the other two slots will be the sporting legends dipping in and out every 4 miles. They will only do one 4 mile leg.
All participants will complete a lateral flow test before they run and will check temperatures, ensuring there are no signs of Covid.
Gregor has set up a page where people can donate, and people can also visit his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Visit here to find out more or to donate:
Total includes more than £86,000 for two Scottish charities – Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Alzheimer Scotland – and £38,665.51 for the national charity partner Macmillan
Aegon will support Blood Bikes Scotland and Marie Curie Edinburgh as local charity partners and Prince’s Trust as national charity partner in 2021
The pandemic didn’t stall fundraising in 2020, as Aegon UK employees working with their Atos colleagues raised a total of £142,368.06 for nine employee selected charity partners UK wide.(Who donated the 6p? – Ed.)
The company charity committees and employees coordinated everything from raffles, quizzes and dress up days, to running challenges, virtual coffee mornings and pet competitions to raise funds throughout the year. Aegon UK then matched these funds pound for pound, bringing the grand charitable total to £142,368.06 for the nine charity partners.
25% of all funds raised went to the national charity, Macmillan and 75% of money raised in each location went to the local charity or charities. The local charities selected by the employees in Edinburgh were Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Alzheimer Scotland .
Due to the lockdown, cheque presentations took place virtually this year for most of the charities, with just a couple of the cheques being delivered in person by Aegon employees.
A breakdown of the funds raised for each of the nine charities can be found below.
Mike Holliday-Williams, CEO, Aegon UK commented:“The pandemic presented our charity committees and employees with a fresh fundraising challenge this year. The usual bake sales and dress down days were no longer possible when the offices closed. But Aegon employees rose to this challenge and came up with a steady stream of wonderful ideas to ensure our charities were well taken care of, lifting everyone’s spirits in the process.
“Pet competitions, ready steady cook at home challenges, the 555 running challenge quizzes, dress up days, virtual coffee mornings, raffles and so much more – I was in awe at the persistence and creativity from everyone involved.
“Employees have gone above and beyond in 2020 to support the company’s commitment to giving back to our local communities – from nominating the charities close to their hearts, through to the passion and dedication shown in raising these funds for fantastic causes. I’m extremely impressed with the dedication and efforts of those involved, especially during a global pandemic.
“I would also like to thank the charity committees across all the locations for their hard work in keeping up the momentum and delivering for our charity partners. Helping people is at the core of what Aegon does as a business, and the fundraising work we do as a company is a key part of that.”
Michelle Campbell, Fundraising Manager for Macmillan said:“This is an acutely challenging time for people living with cancer, the NHS and for cancer care. We are doing whatever it takes to make sure our vital support continues to be available.
“Funding is needed more than ever, so for Aegon to exceed their original target and donate £38,665.51 is more than we could have imagined. This type of donation pays for a Macmillan support worker for over a year, helping people living with cancer receive the help they need.
“We would like to thank Aegon for their continued support throughout the year and for the outstanding amount raised.”
Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS said:“Staff at Aegon have done amazing work to help children with life-shortening conditions across Scotland. We at CHAS just can’t thank the team enough.
“The money raised will fund the cost of specialist hospice care for children with short lives, and emotional and practical support for their parents, brothers and sisters. No-one should face the death of their child alone and this partnership takes us one step closer to making that a reality.”
Caroline Miller, Stakeholder Engagement Lead at Alzheimer Scotland said:“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for people living with dementia and their carers. There is an estimated 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland – approximately 60,000 of whom live in the community.
“Each of these people, to different degrees, rely on their daily routines, social interactions, community-based groups and activities, and formal health and social care services, as a way to maintain their wellbeing and live as independently as possible in their own communities.
“All these supports have been disrupted as a direct consequence of this pandemic and the public health restrictions. We’ve seen from the dramatic increase in calls to our helpline, the toll this has taken.
“The generosity of Aegon and their staff during our partnership has been humbling. Despite the restrictions in place, they have continued their fundraising at pace and also responded with a generous gift to our crisis appeal.
“The total of just over £43,000 raised is an incredible achievement in any year but we are so grateful that in this most difficult of years they have made such a contribution. This money will have a real impact on people living with dementia in Scotland as we continue to transform the ways in which we support people living with dementia, their families and carers as we move forward.”
The charities were chosen as the result of a company-wide vote on a shortlist of charities nominated by Aegon UK employees.
In 2021 Aegon UK employees and Atos colleagues will be supporting:
National charity – Prince’s Trust
Edinburgh local charities – Blood Bikes Scotland and Marie Curie Edinburgh
London local charity – London’s Air Ambulance
Manchester local charities – Forever Manchester and Dianne Oxberry Trust
Peterborough local charity – East Anglia Children’s Hospices (EACH)
Witham local charities – Kids Inspire and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance
Lytham local charity – Trinity Hospice & Brian’s House
Breakdown of funds raised for all Aegon UK charity partners in 2020.
Staff normally based at Utilita’s Energy Hub in Leith have signed up to take part in the ‘Future Steps’ campaign – a 10,000 steps-a-day challenge during the month of February to raise vital funds for The Prince’s Trust as the charity works to support young people during these difficult times.
After former prime minister, Gordon Brown, warned that youth unemployment in Scotland could hit 100,000 this winter as a result of the pandemic, Utilita Energy is powering The Prince’s Trust Future Steps campaign, to enable the charity to give young people hope for the future by helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to move into work, education or training.
Staff from the Energy Hub in Leith – who have been aptly named the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ – will each clock up 10,000 steps for 28 consecutive days throughout February, resulting in 60,000 steps a day and a massive 1.68m steps in in total by the end of February.
To donate valuable funds to help improve young people’s wellbeing and help them to get into work, please visit the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ JustGiving page here.
Debra Clason, Team Leader of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Future Steps team at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith (above), said:“With so many young people’s lives disrupted and impacted by the pandemic, their education or career plans may have been put on hold, so it’s important that the support they need to confidently get back on track is there when they need it most.
“We’ll be telling the customers we speak to about the campaign, as well as educating each customer about the Energy High 5 campaign – helping every household to reduce their energy spend by £163 per year.”
Laura Heaton, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Prince’s Trust, said:“We’re incredibly grateful to Utilita for making Future Steps possible by sponsoring the campaign, and to their teams all over the UK who have signed up to get moving in support of our cause.
“The funds raised will help us to keep up with demand from young people in these anxious times, so that they can get the advice and opportunities they need to get back on track and regain control of their futures – whatever challenges they may be facing.”
Staff from across Utilita Energy are taking part in the challenge this year – from senior management to customer service and energy engineers – with the aim to beat 5m steps they achieved in 2020.
Join them today and raise valuable donations to help young people by visiting:
Throughout October, staff from SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), will walk, cycle, and run nearly 2000 miles as part of a virtual Tour D’Office challenge to raise money for RSABI.
David Ross, Regional Development Manager with SAC Consulting who initiated the event, said the aim of the Tour D’Office is to boost morale amongst the 130-strong consulting staff, build camaraderie and, most importantly, raise money for RSABI.
“For the past couple of years, we’ve entered teams into RSABI’s Great Glen Challenge, and it’s always been a highlight for staff”, David explained.
“This year, due to the current circumstances and cancellation of the Great Glen event, we decided to try and do something different. The concept of virtually racing around all 24 SAC Consulting offices has come up before and we decided this year is the perfect opportunity to make it happen.
“Previous fundraising challenges have been a fantastic opportunity for staff across the organisation to get to know each other. This year, teams are based on regional locations with specialists and office staff coming together to raise money for a great cause that is crucial to our industry, particularly in times of crisis.”
Head of SAC Consulting, Andrew Lacey, said: “In the current situation, charities have had to cancel their premier fundraising events which will have a major impact on their future ability to support vulnerable communities.
“RSABI provides a vital service to rural people throughout Scotland and we felt it was important to be able to continue our fundraising efforts for them despite the restrictions.
“The Tour D’Office challenge is bringing together staff, no matter where they live, with a goal to support this important charity, and ultimately each other, during this challenging time.”
Chief Executive of RSABI, Nina Clancy, said: “So many charities have been adversely impacted by lockdown and the subsequent restrictions. It’s fantastic to see SAC Consulting think outside the box regarding fundraising and I am grateful the team have decided to donate the funds to RSABI – it will really make a difference to people in the agricultural sector who are struggling.”
The full route around each of the SAC Consulting offices is 1,953.6 miles and teams are challenged to walk, cycle, or run the equivalent during October. The virtual circuit will visit all the SAC Consulting offices across Scotland and the North of England kicking off in Edinburgh before moving up the east coast, through the north east and Highlands and Islands offices, before coming down the west coast to Kendal and then back up the east coast to finish in Edinburgh.
“No doubt there will be a healthy dose of competition between the teams and some great banter too. It’s a way to inject a bit of fun into life when things aren’t very easy for lots of people”, said David.
“We will be awarding prizes for the region with the most money raised, region that has completed the most miles, individual that has completed the most miles in each category, most impressive fancy dress and the most likes on a social media post.”
Predicting what region will be first across the finish line, David Ross who heads up the North East Regional Team, said: “Even though the south east and south west have some fairly strong runners and cyclists in their team, my money is on north east taking the title of inaugural winner of the Tour D’Office!”
Those wishing to support the fundraising efforts of a specific region, or follow their progress, can do so by clicking here.
Every Thursday Fiona would rally all her neighbours and friends and family to clap for the NHS and when that ended she still managed to get them all out on a Thursday at 8pm by engaging them in the slosh (for younger readers, it’s a line dancing routine!) All ages and abilities were out and had a great time.
Fiona then decided she wanted to continue her support of a local charity Held In Our Hearts by getting the neighbours together in a walk round Arthur Seat. The virtual Edinburgh Marathon festival this year is being run until December and everyone taking part can register.
Fiona in the last few years has volunteered on a water station at the Edinburgh Marathon Weekend and has tirelessly cheered on our charity runners.
Fiona arranged 50 of her friends and family to take a social distanced trip round Arthur Seat and kept everyone motivated and fully engaged whether is was one lap or two. In fact Brodie one of the younger runners did three laps.
Eileen Mitchell, the oldest lady ever to take part in an events for Held In Our Hearts, says: “It was so much fun top see the community come together and we are really grateful to Fiona for all her hard work.”
The group have raised £2,500 and we are truly grateful to every person that got involved.
You can still sponsor them and support Held In Our Hearts:
Alzheimer’s Month sees get-fit challenge issued at Cramond Residence
Lisa Sohn is one of the lifestyle coordinators at Edinburgh’s most exclusive care homes, Cramond Residence.
PENSIONERS deprived of proper exercise during the lockdown are now being coaxed back into action at Edinburgh’s most exclusive care home – by the lure of raising cash to battle dementia.
Canny staff at Cramond Residence in Edinburgh have set a challenge for residents, giving them the month to get in the best possible shape for a major fundraising push.
Care and clinical workers hope the attraction of doing their bit for Alzheimer’s Month will also help the residents shake off the potentially debilitating effects of five months in lockdown.
Lisa Sohn (above), Lifestyle Coordinator at the purpose-built, 74-room care home, pointed out that extensive research has shown how older people are adversely affected by periods of inactivity, suffering accelerated muscle loss.
Lisa said: “It’s a vicious circle. The more inactive an older person it is, the harder it becomes to get them back into a good place. We’ve done everything we can to keep our residents active here, but we’re hoping this new challenge will really make a difference.
“We are lucky to have beautiful gardens at Cramond Residence so we’ve come up with a plan to mark Alzheimer’s Month throughout September, encouraging our residents to walk as often as possible.
“We’re going to build up to a big fundraising day on September 30. That will see our residents doing as many laps of the garden as possible, while asking their family and friends to make a pledge to Alzheimer Scotland.
“Everyone here has a vested interest in this. Not only is it a great way to keep our people in tip-top condition, but we all know residents who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. This lets us all do our bit to fight this terrible condition.”
Reopening of Cramond Residence’s beautiful garden has been the main impetus for the challenge. However, it has also been partly inspired by the story of former British Army Captain Tom Moore.
His garden walks during lockdown and in the run up to his 100th birthday turned him into a national celebrity. He also raised more than £32m for the NHS – and earned a knighthood as a result.
Lisa added: “All of our residents followed the story of Captain Tom during lockdown, so we’re hoping that will also help inspire them.
“Happily, most of them are champing at the bit to get back out walking outside and the garden walks will be one of our major focuses throughout September.”
Cramond Residence is a purpose-built care home created at a cost of £12.5m and opened in October 2018. It combines luxury, five-star accommodation with outstanding clinical standards. Each resident enjoys a luxury room with en-suite bathroom facilities – with places available from £1850 per week.
It can care for up to 74 older people, with specialised self-contained houses for those residents living with an advanced stage of cognitive impairment induced by conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
It maintains a care staff to resident ratio of at least 1:4 at all times and promotes a small-group living philosophy. That means groups of eight rooms form distinct “houses”, where residents are encouraged to eat and socialise together. This is believed to have played a major role in successful infection control during the Coronavirus pandemic to date.
Places in the care home start from £1850 a week. To find out more, call 0131 341 4037 or visit https://cramondresidence.co.uk/
People across Scotland are being urged to get their sweat on this September in aid of firefighters and their families
Last year, the SFRS Family Support Trust (FST) launched its maiden StepTember exercise challenge, laying down the gauntlet to participants by asking them to complete either 26, 50 or 100-mile journeys within the 30 days of September.
The event proved to be hugely popular, with more than 180 people clocking up a staggering 14,400 miles – a distance that would (approximately) take the average person 201,628 days to walk.
The tenacious trekkers even dreamt up some unusual ways to complete their miles, with participants opting to walk, run, cycle and even row their miles.
This year, the Family Support Trust is hoping the event can prove to be even more successful.
The FST help support firefighters and their families across Scotland by offering financial assistance and respite accommodation.
SFRS Area Commander Garry Mackay helped organise the event and is a Family Support Trust Board Member. He said: “Last year’s event captured the imagination of people and this year, given the restrictions we have seen on so many events, we hope that more than ever people will get behind StepTember and support the incredible work of the Family Support Trust.
“We have worked with the event provider to ensure that participants are able to donate as large a proportion of the entry fee as they choose and this goes straight to the Trust.
“In addition, through the generosity of our partners Breaking Strain Events, we have kept the entry fee and costs to the charity exactly the same as last year.”
Participants can decide how much of their registration fee goes straight to the charity, with options for some of the entry costs to go towards a medal or joining gift.
Virtual version of Britain’s biggest running event
Runners will download an app for a unique audio running experience on their doorstep
FREE to enter and open to everyone
Entries open on Monday 3rd August at 10am
The Virtual Great North Run will see runners all over the world complete 13.1 miles on 13th September, the day the 40th staging of the iconic half marathon was scheduled to take place.
Working with app provider viRace, organisers have created a unique running experience that uses iconic sounds from the event to take the runner on a Great North Run journey on their doorstep.
The app will highlight popular course features, provide distance updates and play motivational messages through the runners’ headphones as they take on the challenge anywhere in the world.
The Virtual Great North Run is free to enter and open to everyone, regardless of whether they had a place in this year’s event, and participants are encouraged to raise money for charity.
Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: “Over £25m is raised for good causes every year at the Great North Run and our charity village usually hosts 100 charities at the finish line in South Shields.
“Right now fundraising is more important than ever before. Many runners have seen their fundraising efforts halted in recent months, so we encourage them join the Virtual Great North Run in the hope that we can still raise a significant fundraising total for these worthy causes.”
Organisers expect thousands of people to complete the Virtual Great North Run across the UK and worldwide, but stress that participants must still follow government guidelines in regards to social distancing when they take on their challenge.
Paul Foster continued: “There will be no physical Great North Run in 2020, so we decided that since we can’t do it together, we will bring it to your doorstep instead!
“We really wanted to provide an experience as close as possible to the real thing. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to provide participants with a virtual audio and running experience featuring Great North Run sounds that runners and spectators know and love … and we’ve thrown in a few surprises too.”
A record 60,000 people were accepted into the Great North Run ballot this year, with many entrants signing up to be a part of the 40th celebrations. The event was subsequently cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and GNR Reimagined was born.
The campaign provides runners with two virtual running propositions; Great North Run Solo to take them through what would have been the traditional training period, and the Virtual Great North Run to give an on the day virtual race experience.
Launched on 28th June, the anniversary of the first ever Great North Run, Great North Run Solo challenges runners to complete 40 runs up until 13th September, the day the 40th event was scheduled to take place. Over 20,000 people signed up to the solo challenge with all profits donated to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, raising almost £250,000 for the charity.
Virtual Great North Run entries open this morning (Monday 3rd August) at 10am – enter at greatrun.org/north
