Ilkley Half Marathon Goes Virtual
3 min read
We’re so pleased to announce that the Ilkley Half Marathon will still be going ahead this year – virtually!
Success for Ilkley Half Marathon 2019
The inaugural Ilkley Half Marathon took place last summer, long before the words ‘social distancing’ were a part of anyone’s vocabulary, and was a huge success. Runners of all abilities came from around the world to try out the UK’s newest 13.1 mile course, with scenic views of Wharfedale, Addingham and Ilkley’s town centre.
Img Credit: Ilkley Half Marathon
The event, organised by Ilkley Round Table, raised over £40,000 with the support of over 200 volunteers plus key sponsorship from sportshoes.com, Ison Harrison and us!
The Virtual Answer to 2020
Of course, with last year’s event going so well, it was only natural to begin planning for 2020 with even more ambitious fundraising targets. However, as we all are painfully familiar with, 2020 had other ideas.
However, us Northern folk are not easily defeated! And so, the event organisers Ilkley and District Round Table thought hard about how they could still make an event to remember and one, crucially, that would not see charities lose out on the thousands of pounds that would have been raised.
As a result, the Ilkley Virtual Half Marathon was born and we are so proud to be the event’s sponsor.
This year, the event is raising money for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF). The funds raised will be helping to purchase a revolutionary baby incubator for Leeds Congenital Heart Unit.
The incubator will be able to take pictures of babies’ hearts, which will be able to save the lives of those born with congenital heart disease.
This state of the art technology as yet only exists in the USA. MRI scanners in European hospitals are, at the moment, not suitable for babies without putting them under general anaesthetic – a procedure which carries risks for anyone, especially babies.
While the virtual half marathon is free to enter, participants are encouraged to raise money to fund the equipment that, for so many, will be life changing.
So How Do I Take Part in the Virtual Half Marathon?
You’ll need your running shoes and anywhere in the world! Between Sunday 12th July and Wednesday 12th August 2020, you can run 13.1 miles any which way you choose. You could do it all in one go, split it into two halves or do one mile a day for 13 days – just remember that 0.1 on the last day!
We do ask that you complete the run without breaking any of the social distancing rules set out by the government, so please, don’t go running in groups and refrain from doing last year’s Ilkley route.
Record your efforts on whichever running platform you use and share some sweaty selfies on social media to tell everyone about your fantastic achievement.
For more information and news, take a look at the Ilkley Half Marathon Website.
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