Tommy’s launches London Landmarks Half Marathon to benefit itself & other charities
Melanie May | 21 February 2017 | News
Tommy’s is launching a half marathon event for next March, with 10,000 places split between itself and other charities.
The London Landmarks Half Marathon is planned as an annual event and will first take place on 25th March 2018, with the aim of raising £4 million between Tommy’s and other participating charities. The event is a closed road central London run and will be the only half marathon to go through both the City of London and City of Westminster.
A minimum of 3,750 places will be taken by other charities. Runners will start on Pall Mall, finish by Downing Street and take in some of London’s most well-known landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Gherkin, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye.
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The route has taken 18 months to plan with Tommy’s launching it with the support of Westminster City Council and the City of London Corporation. A launch event to introduce the event to other charities took place on 2nd February, followed by an application process for places. Applications are now closed, but the event website will launch fully in April with an information section for charities still interested in participating, and more places may be released later in the year.
The event will also deliver a pan-London community engagement programme and involve London-wide schools, boroughs, community groups, cultural organisations, sports clubs and businesses in developing the event and on the day.
Lia Bowman, race director at Tommy’s, told UK Fundraising:
“In 2014 we embarked on a strategy to double our organisational income. After evaluating the different options available to us for raising more funds, we decided to launch an event and with our offices based in the City, noticed a gap in the market for a marathon that takes in the City and its landmarks.”
Jane Brewin, chief executive at Tommy’s, also commented:
“We are looking forward to working with schools and local communities to make the London Landmarks Half Marathon a day to remember in London’s annual calendar. We hope lots of people across London will take up the challenge.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.