Thousand of runners gear up for York 10k
A record number of people have entered
Thousands of participants of all abilities spanning the decades, from the ages of 3 to 80, are set to descend on the city of York today for one the biggest annual mass participation running events in the county.
Participants are raising money for a host of good causes and a diverse range of partner charities including; the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, St Leonard’s Hospice, York Against Cancer, Refugee Action York, RSPCA York & Harrogate & District Branch, Saint Catherine’s, Changing Lives, The Island, Menfulness and the York Down Syndrome Support Group.
Starting at 09.30am, the 10K race will start and finish on the Knavesmire, close to York Racecourse. Known as Yorkshire’s most scenic 10K and popular for its fast and flat course, the route explores some of the city’s most historic landmarks, including the ancient city walls, Clifford’s Tower and York Minster.
Participants can look forward to a celebratory atmosphere, with local bands including Some Voices and Lucy’s Pop Choir, keeping them entertained on the route, together with thousands of spectators lining the streets of the City.
The local community in and around the city of York have also shown their support for the event, including local groups such as York Sea Cadets, York Rotary Ainsty and Fordy Runs who will be giving up their time to volunteer on the day.
A brand-new edition to this year’s York 10K, participants are invited to part ways with unwanted old trainers, where drop off stations will be made readily available throughout the Event Village located on Millennium Square. This forms part of a brand-new Run For All partnership with JogOn, who are all about keeping running shoes out of landfill.
Founded by JoggingBuddy.com CEO Tony Piedade, JogOn are on a mission to remove 1 million of running shoes from landfill every year. They estimate that over 30 million pairs of shoes are discarded and end up in landfill every year, but many of these shoes have a lot of life left in them.
Where possible, the JogOn Again scheme enables the reuse of unwanted shoes by giving them to those in need, through distribution by partners in eleven hubs around the world. Where reuse is not an option for the shoes they are shredded, and their remains are reused for other purposes.
Trainers will then be sent onto the JogOn HQ, ready to be passed on for a new lease of life and redistributed to those who need them most.
Tristan Batley-Kyle, Operations Director at Run For All said, “The York 10K is always one of the major highlights in the region’s running calendar.
York is a perfect city location to stage one of our events and whatever the reason for taking part, whether it be for charity, a personal challenge, or simply just to have fun, we hope everyone has an enjoyable day.”