Virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon opens to primary schools
Melanie May | 18 September 2020 | News
The first virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon, aimed at inspiring children, has opened to primary schools.
The event traditionally features more than 1,600 young runners aged 11-17, representing the London boroughs and regions across the UK and racing over the last three miles of the London Marathon course. This year, London Marathon Events is hoping to inspire 45,000 children to take part virtually.
For 2020, children are asked to run 2.6 miles between Monday 28 September and Friday 9 October, with the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon taking place on Sunday 4 October. Due to the pandemic, the main event this year will see elite races in St James’s Park and 45,000 people in the UK and around the world running the 26.2 mile distance on the course of their choice between 00:00 – 23:59:59 BST.
All participating schools will be provided with resources to promote the Mini London Marathon in their school, including a running number, posters and a special message from an athlete. The event is free for schools to enter and every child that completes the challenge will receive an official Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon finisher medal and certificate.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said:
“We are working to inspire 45,000 children to take part in this new virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon. Being physically active improves health and fitness and supports good mental health and wellbeing.
“For the past two years, we have been working in partnership with the Mayor of London to introduce The Daily Mile into London’s primary schools and now more than 800 schools across the capital have signed up to this initiative which encourages children run or jog for 15 minutes each day from classroom door to classroom door with no need to change or use any equipment. The Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon is the equivalent of three Daily Miles.”
Full details are available on the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon website.
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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.