TEAMS from a Hampshire cardiac charity are vowing to provide a vital heartbeat for runners during the ABP Southampton Half Marathon.
Representatives from Wessex Heartbeat are the latest to sign up as ABP Milemakers offering motivational support to participants.
Now the 20-strong team are pledging to be the loudest cheerers among the community groups and clubs raising runners’ spirits on the challenging course.
It comes ahead of the countdown for the sporting extravaganza hotting up with just ten days until runners hit the track on Sunday, April 26.
Crowds of more than 12,000 people are expected to line the streets to support 6,000 runners pounding the pavements on the 13.1mile route and its shorter 10km course.
The premier event – the biggest of its kind in the city for around 25 years – is being organised by Marafun UK with Associated British Ports (ABP) as the principle sponsor.
It will pass some of the city’s key landmarks including the Bargate, the QE2 Anchor, the Common and St Mary’s Stadium.
Wessex Heartbeat answered a call for milemaker group made by the Daily Echo which is the race’s official media partner.
Charity events and community fundraising manager Tina Richardson said: “We found out about the event through the Daily Echo and thought it was a great opportunity to raise money and awareness for the charity. We have 15 spaces for runners to run the 10k and 20 of us are ready to cheer everyone on at the start line.”
ABP Southampton port director Nick Ridehalgh said: “We appreciate every single group that has signed up to be ABP Milemakers. They have an essential job to perform on the day so we wanted to say thank you for their hard work. This money will be going towards a great cause.”
ABP is awarding each milemaker group a £200 donation, while those voted the most inspiring by runners will clinch themselves a £500 prize.
Wessex Heartbeat is using their initial donation for building an ‘adopting’ room at Heartbeat House, a service that benefits over 2,000 people a year.
RARING TO GO
STAFF from a leading Hampshire marketing communications agency are gearing up for the county’s newest mass running event.
Colleagues at Carswell Gould are pulling on their trainers for the ABP Southampton Half Marathon ahead of the starting gun being fired on Sunday next week.
The team members love a challenge and last year between them they completed the Tough Mudderm, an 11-mile walk along the Test Way and even trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro.
Their latest challenge follows the firm launching its newest offering CG Adventures - placing its clients at the centre of their own dynamic adventures - at last year’s PSP Southampton Boat Show.
Carswell Gould PR account manager Laura Downton said: “The training’s going really well so far and we’re enjoying seeing the sights of Southampton. “We’ve even been back and forth over the Itchen Bridge to give ourselves the competitive edge.
“With the race date fast approaching we’re all very excited about taking part in such a fantastic challenge. We’ve enjoyed working with ABP for years so we’re really pleased to support the event.”
Race director, Chris Rees, said: “It’s always great to see a team who are so ready for a challenge. I’m sure it will be a totally new adventure for them all, but I have no doubt it’s one they can conquer.”
- Kate Rassell, pictured below, from Superfit, the ABP Southampton Half Marathon’s official nutrition sponsor, gives her recipe for an energy-filled snack for runners:
ENERGY BALL
Ingredients
Hand full on pitted dates
Dried apricots – 8 or so
Almonds - handful
Pumpkin seeds – 1 tablespoon
Coconut flakes or desiccated – 1 tablespoon
Small scoop of protein powder (optional)
Desiccated coconut to coat
Equipment
A blender
A bowl
Method
Toss all the ingredients into the blender.
Blend until they are able to roll and stick together.
If you find the mixture a little dry when you blend add a small amount of hot water.
Take small chunks of the mixture, roll into a ball and then cover with the desiccated coconut. Continue until the mixture is all used up.
The ball can be freezed but will last up to two to three weeks if refrigerated.
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