17th December 2018 - Sage Reading Half Marathon Celebrates 2019 Headline and Partner Charities
The organisers of the Sage Reading Half Marathon have confirmed the charity partners for the 2019 race, taking place on Sunday 17 March. Cancer Research UK headlines for 2019 with Macmillan, Sue Ryder, Babies in Buscot (BiBs), Sage Foundation and Age UK as the Platinum, Gold and Bronze partners respectively. Berkshire based Creating Better Futures, First Days, Helen & Douglas House, Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Home-Start making up the five local partners.
Emma Hyatt, Head of Events and Sports Communities, of headline charity partner, Cancer Research UK says: “We are incredibly excited to partner Sage Reading Half Marathon for another year – it’s a wonderful opportunity for us. Each year, more than 360,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in the UK, and at present only 2 in 4 will survive the disease. Cancer Research UK funds almost half of all research done in the UK, with amazing results. Through our research, Cancer Research UK has played a role in developing 8 of the world’s top 10 cancer drugs, preventing millions of deaths worldwide.
“With the generosity and support of the Sage Reading Half Marathon and our wonderful runners, we can fund further lifesaving research. This will help us fulfil our objective of 3 in 4 people surviving cancer by 2034.”
Jasmin Christie, Event Programme Manager at platinum charity partner of the 2019 race, Macmillan Cancer Support confirms: “We’re so excited to be partnering with Sage Reading Half Marathon for 2019, it’s a fantastic event with a route that takes you through the heart of the city. On the day you get a brilliant feeling for people coming together and celebrating incredible achievements. The money raised by our runners funds vital areas of our work, such as funding a Macmillan nurse for a day through to supporting a whole information centre providing practical and emotional support to those in need.”
Local partner, Home-Start Reading also joins the race charity family. Home-Start has been supporting local families in Reading since 1984. Its team of volunteers, with the help of staff members, support families in their homes and targeted groups to cope with the stresses of life, so they gain essential life skills. This might be confidence to prevent family crisis, gain strength to cope and for the children to flourish and reach their full potential.
Sarah Smith, Home-Start Reading Manager says: “Sage Reading Half Marathon is the ideal fundraising platform for us. We are very excited and our staff, volunteers and families are all in training for the big day to help us raise vital funds for the charity. I have been the Manager here since 2012 and in that time we have received approximately 550 referrals into our organisation and supported 367 of those families. Our demand constantly out-weighs our resources.”
March 2019’s half marathon will also contribute significantly to the Sage Foundation, the headline sponsor’s charity. The Sage Foundation’s $1 Million Challenge is a global fundraising campaign that brings together physical activity and fundraising. In 2018, Sage raised over $270,000 across 10 countries for 40 charities and communities, helped by 670 runners joining events in the UK, South Africa, Canada and Brazil.
Judith Manson, Race Director, adds: “We are so excited to be working with our returning partners and welcome Macmillan, Age UK and Home-Start to the family. Charities are at the core of what we do; the 2019 event is set to be bigger and better than ever providing the perfect platform for charities to spread the word about the brilliant work they’re doing while raising vital funds.”
Every year, around 15,000 runners take part in the world-renowned event raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities across Berkshire and the UK. Have you snapped up your spot at the 2019 start line? For more event and partner charity information visit: www.readinghalfmarathon.com
