Express & Star

Royal Sutton Fun Run participants raise more than £90,000 for charities

Participants in the 40th anniversary of a West Midlands running event have helped raise thousands for charity.

Published
James Pike, Town Mayor Cllr Janet Cairns, Vanessa Hoe and Tracey Spare

Those who took part in this summer's Royal Sutton Fun Run chose 85 charities and voluntary organisations to benefit from the £90,103 raised in 2022.

After three cancellations due to Covid restrictions, the Royal Sutton Fun Run returned in May this year for the first time since 2019.

Event Director, Tracey Spare said: “When the Covid Omicron variant arrived in the UK late last year, the uncertainty over staging this year’s event increased significantly.

"Registration eventually opened two months later than normal in mid-March and a late date change to avoid the late Queen Elizabeth’s II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations simply compounded the issue. As quickly as people were registering others were cancelling.

“When you take into consideration all the negative factors impacting on staging this year’s event, generating over £90,000 to support charities and voluntary organisations is quite an extraordinary outcome.

The total raised and distributed since the first Royal Sutton Fun Run in 1982 has now reached £4.92 million.

Tracey added: “Back in 1982, no one could have anticipated the event would celebrate its 40th anniversary. Most people forecast a five-year life span, yet here in 2022 the event continues to attract participants from across the country and raise significant sums of money to support those living with physical, mental, and emotional issues.

“We can now look forward to returning to our traditional date – the Sunday at the end of spring half term – Sunday, June 4, 2023 to celebrate the 40th Royal Sutton Fun Run.”

Online registration for the 40th Royal Sutton Fun Run opens over the first weekend of February.

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