Sporting Santas make it a super Christmas for Bury Hospice

No fewer than 142 local runners and eight volunteers raided the fancy dress box for a morning of free festive fun at Burrs Country Park on Sunday 18 December.

The Super Santa Dash was hosted by Great Run Local, the free running event which is organised entirely by volunteers and takes place at Burrs Country Park every Sunday morning.

As with all Great Run Local events, the Super Santa Dash had 2k and 5k options available, with both routes running alongside each other so friends and family could take part together.

Participants turned up in their best Christmas-themed fancy dress or superhero costumes with prizes awarded to the best dressed grown-up, child and volunteer.

The kind-hearted runners also made donations to Bury Hospice on the day, with £117.19being raised for the local charity.

Deborah Cliff, Great Run Local volunteer event co-ordinator, said: “This was such an amazing turnout with plenty of new faces joining our Great Run Local regulars at what was amildand muddy morningat Burrs.

“We hope to see the new runners again in the New Year when Great Run Local will be approaching its second birthday!”

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

ENDS

Press release issued: 20 December 2016.

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).