Caption: Runners at the launch together with 96.3 Radio Aire presenters JK & Joel (kneeling) with the Yorkshire Cancer Research clanger mascot and Leeds City Council executive member for Leisure Cllr John Procter standing behind
Leeds’ most famous shopping street was temporarily turned into a mini running track today for the official launch of this year’s GDF SUEZ Leeds Half-Marathon.
Shoppers heading for Briggate this morning were met by the unusual sight of a start and finish line and course complete with markers signifying each of the 13.1 miles which thousands of runners will take to in May for one of the biggest mass-participation events of the year in Leeds.
Organised by Leeds City Council and sponsored by utility company GDF SUEZ in association with media partner 96.3 Radio Aire and kit suppliers Up and Running, this year’s event takes place on Sunday 9th May.
Over 5,000 people of all ages are expected to take part in the GDF SUEZ Leeds Half-Marathon and corporate challenge which starts and finishes on Millennium Square. The fun run and junior run element of the event will be launched separately by organisers Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All later this month.
Leeds City Council executive member for Leisure Councillor John Procter said:
“The Leeds Half-Marathon is an event which attracts thousands of people from all over the city and beyond to take part, so we look forward to seeing a full entry once again this year.”
Chief Executive of GDF SUEZ ENERGY UK Marc Hirt said:
"GDF SUEZ is extremely proud to once again be the sponsor of this year’s Leeds Half-Marathon, continuing our long-term association with the race. We believe it’s a great event and a fantastic way to raise money for charity. Staff from our offices in Yorkshire and across the UK will be taking part and we hope they'll be joined by many thousands from across the region.”
Entries are now open for the half-marathon and corporate challenge elements of the event. The main GDF SUEZ Leeds Half-Marathon takes in a course around the city and is open to anyone 17 and over. Everyone who successfully completes the course will receive a race medal and t-shirt at the finish line, while certificates and the official results will be able to be downloaded from the website at www.leeds.gov.uk/runleeds. There are also a range of prizes on offer, including £500 for both the first female and male runners to finish.
The GDF SUEZ Corporate Challenge offers the chance for businesses to take part in the event. Teams of six employees each run a section of the half-marathon course in a relay format, with various prizes up for grabs. With no limits on the number of teams each business can enter, it is hoped up to 150 teams will be taking part this year.
96.3 Radio Aire’s Breakfast Show presenters JK and Joel, who will be broadcasting the event live from Millennium Square, said:
“This is our first chance to experience the Leeds Half-Marathon and we are told it is a fantastic event so we can’t wait to see it this year. It would be brilliant to see people of all ages either taking part or coming along to show their support on the day so we hope to see thousands of people on Millennium Square having a great time.”
All the runners will be asked to raise sponsorship money for official event charity Yorkshire Cancer Research, which carries out research into the causes and cures of cancer across the region.
Yorkshire Cancer Research Events Manager Emma Young said:
“We are thrilled to be the official charity partner for the 2010 GDF SUEZ Leeds Half-Marathon, especially as this year marks our 85th anniversary and it is such a positive way of reinforcing the fact that our research work in Yorkshire is only possible because of the continuing generosity of the people of Leeds and throughout Yorkshire. We are hoping to raise about £20,000 from the event, from individual sponsorship and from corporate teams running on our behalf, and that money will go back into funding research here in Yorkshire.”
New for this year, anyone keen to take part will be able to follow regular updates via twitter at www.twitter.com/RunLeeds.
Last year’s half-marathon was won by Andrew Pearson of Longwood Harriers in a time of one hour seven minutes 46 seconds while the ladies section was won for the second year running by Sue Harrison of Leamington in one hour 18 minutes five seconds.
The entry fee for the GDF SUEZ Leeds Half-Marathon is £18 for affiliated club runners and £20 for those not affiliated to running clubs. Entry into the GDF SUEZ Corporate Challenge is £84 per team.
For more information or to receive an application form go to www.leeds.gov.uk/runleeds or call Leeds City Council’s Sport Development Unit on 0113 395 0001. Application forms can also be collected from Leeds City Council leisure centres and the 96.3 Radio Aire reception. The deadline for entries is Friday 9th April.
Notes to editors:
Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR), now in its 85th year, is the UK’s largest regional medical research charity and provides millions of pounds worth of funding for research into the causes and cures of cancer – all of which is carried out in Yorkshire through universities and associated teaching hospitals in Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York. More information on YCR and the work it funds can be found at www.ycr.org.uk
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Learning and Leisure Media Relations Officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472, Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk
