A runaway success for Bury’s Great Run Local

A free weekly run at Burrs Country Park has proved to be a runaway success since it first came to Bury 12 months ago.

Great Run Local, which is organised entirely by volunteers, was an instant hit in Bury and on Sunday 31 January more than 100 runners and volunteers turned up to celebrate Great Run Local’s one-year anniversary.

The free weekly run is held at 9.30am every Sunday and was launched last year in partnership with I Will If You Will (IWIYW) – the Bury-based female fitness movement delivered by Bury Council with National Lottery funding from Sport England – to help local people get more active, more often.

Deborah Cliff, volunteer event co-ordinator, said: “On average we get about 60 people turning up each week, so to see more than 100 people in the park to celebrate our one-year anniversary was incredible.”

As part of the celebrations, the team from I Will If You Will were waiting at the finish line with tea, coffee and cake for all participants.

Julie Durrant, IWIYW communities lead, said: “Great Run Local is a really popular event in Bury with people of all ages and abilities turning up each week to walk, jog or run the 2k or 5k route.

“To see so many people take part is testament to the hard work of all the volunteers who turn up each week in all sorts of weather to make sure the run goes ahead smoothly and safely. Without them, family-friendly activities like Great Run Local wouldn’t be possible.”

Great Run Local is a popular event among beginners and keen runners alike. The 2k distance is a great starting point and ideal for children, and runs alongside the 5k run, so friends and family of all abilities can take part together.

To find out more about Great Run Local and get your free wristband to time and track your weekly runs, visit www.greatrunlocal.org

To find out more about volunteering, go to http://buryvip.com/

ENDS

Press release issued: 9 February 2016.

Picture: Event volunteers at Burrs Country Park celebrating a successful year of Great Run Local in Bury.

Note to editors:

I Will If You Will is focused on changing women’s and girls’ behaviours towards taking part in sport and physical activity with the aim of getting more women and girls being more active, more often, and helping improve the health and wellbeing of people in Bury.

It aims to overcome the many practical and emotional barriers to being active, while encouraging women to support each other by joining the I Will If You Will community.

The Phase One campaign (2013–14) was delivered by Bury Council with £2.3 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England. For the Phase Two campaign (2015–16), Sport England has allocated a further £2 million to extend delivery.

The successful IWIYW pilot campaign identified valuable insight and helped develop the foundations for Sport England’s national This Girl Can campaign, which launched in January 2015, as well as Sport England’s practical guide to helping women and girls get active (www.sportengland.org/womenandgirls).