ONE OF the biggest events in the Southampton annual calendar has raked in more than £2,000,000 for charity.

The ABP Southampton Marathon sees thousands of runners pour into the city centre.

Following a two year hiatus, the event made a return last Sunday.

Since its inception, the marathon has earned more than £2 million for charities, according to organisers.

Race director, Chris Rees said £1.7 million had been raised from the previous five years.

This means that just over £300,000 was generated from donations in 2021.

Chris has praised all those who took part.

He said: “The event has raised over £2 million for charity since inception in 2015.

“The runners have been truly amazing with their dedication to training and raising money for such great causes.

“We are delighted to see such a landmark amount reached and look forward to all the charities benefitting from the runners’ hard work.”

Southampton Hospital Charity is the lead local charity for the ABP Southampton Marathon.

It helps raise funds for University Hospital Southampton which “make a real impact to the patients, families and staff.”

Money goes towards refurbishments, equipment and even research.

In a statement on the ABP Marathon website, events officer for the Southampton Hospital Charity, Kelly Metcalfe, says: “Sponsoring the ABP Southampton Marathon is the highlight of our events calendar.

“The race is a great opportunity for us to engage our supporters on home turf and is proving ever-popular, with growing numbers of our supporters taking on the challenge.

“We are excited about our partnership and about enabling our supporters to challenge themselves and make a real difference to their local hospital”.

With the return of the marathon last Sunday, the city came alive with energy.

Many runners had been waiting for at least two years after the event was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid fears.

The Guildhall Square and Watts Park were packed before the race started at 9 am.

Meanwhile, Above Bar Street was lined with cheering supporters waving placards.

The marathon is due to return next year on April 24.

For more information or to sign up, visit the ABP Marathon website.