Challenge 13: An alternative Great North FUN-draiser which is lucky for everyone!

At St Oswald’s we won’t let the recent Great North Run cancellation news affect our patient’s chances of getting the care they need – or get in the way of our runners preparations and fundraising!

We had a team of over 500 charity runners signed up to take part in the iconic half marathon in support of the hospice this September, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic, organisers The Great Run Company have been forced to cancel.

With the Great North Run being such an important and celebrated day in the region’s fundraising calendar, we are proud to launch shiny new alternative virtual event. We hope this will ensure the training and fundraising that our team St Oswald’s runners have already done, doesn’t go to waste – as well as give everyone else something to look forward to this summer.

Challenge 13 aims to make the number 13 not just lucky for some, but for everyone! Anyone can sign up for free and pledge to run as many miles as possible in the thirteen weeks leading up to what would have been the day of the Great North Run – Sunday 13^th September. Participants can continue to fundraise as they would have for the Great North Run so our patients don’t miss out on the vital donations.  Non-runners are catered for too, with a ‘Challenge Your Way’ option.

Our Events Fundraising Manager, Danielle Harvey said:

We understand and support the reasons, however it was a real blow to hear the Great North Run has been cancelled. Last year, our amazing team of adult and child runners raised a massive £200,000 for the hospice by taking part, and it’s a huge event in our annual fundraising calendar.

 

The needs of our patients don’t go away just because the Great North Run can’t go ahead. In fact, they need us now more than ever, so we had to come up with an alternative. We hope all of our runners will join in, as well as other people from across the region who are looking to challenge themselves this summer. 

Challenge 13 has already begun and runs right up until 13^th September. Participants can sign up for free and create a fundraising page via the GivePenny platform. The aim is to complete as many miles as possible before the final day and runners can log their progress by connecting their fundraising page to a running app such as Strava. A leader board will show runner’s progress which we hope will to appeal to the more competitive runners, or people can simple set their own target or join in just for fun.

Danielle continued:

Our ability to raise the money needed to keep the services going has been severely limited over the last three months, with many of our events cancelled and charity shops closed. This virtual event is a brilliant way for everyone to get involved in their own way, whether you are an elite runner or a total beginner. Every single mile counts and will make a big difference to local families at a difficult time.

We know that  not everyone is a runner, so Challenge 13 offers other options for those wanting to raise funds their own way, themed around the number 13, including everything from baking and knitting to quizzing and aerobics. We’ve put some ideas together on the website to inspire people. We are also looking out for the most creative and imaginative ideas and there might just be a prize for the best one!”

Sign up now and help us make 13 a lucky number not just for some but for everyone: www.givepenny.com/event/challenge-13.