26 Jun 2007 - London 10k for Otley RDA
Mike Farrell, Customer Services Manager at Waitrose Otley, and Carole Dickason, an instructor and Charities Officer for our group, will join an international line-up this Sunday (1st July) for London's 10k run Among the 20,000 competitors will be the current Olympic men?s marathon champion Stefano Bald'ni of Italy and Olympic women?s marathon silver medallist Catherine Nderaba of Kenya. These two will be running for glory: Mike and Carole will be running for Otley & District RDAThe event, which has taken place for the last seven years, attracts athletes from almost all continents, as well as people running for charity. (Over 500 charities will be represented this year.) As the lead runner approaches the finish on Whitehall, they are handed an original 1948 London Olympic Relay torch.
This tradition was started in 2005 when the event was held just three days before the International Olympic Committee met in Singapore to elect the host city for the 2012 Olympics. Haile Gebreselassie, double Olympic 10K champion, multi world record breaker and London 2012 international ambassador, was recruited by Lord Coe to run in the race and carry an original 1948 London Olympic Relay torch across the finish line. The photograph of him carrying the torch over the winning line captured the Olympic dream and was featured in national newspapers and on TV and continues to play an important role in the marketing of the 2012 Olympics.
Sunday's race starts at 9.35am and the lead runners are expected to complete it by 10.03am, taking in sites such as St.James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, St.Paul's and the London Eye to name but a few. Mike hopes to run it in an hour and Carole in a less ambitious hour and a half so "no danger of either of us having to carry an Olympic torch over the finishing line," Carole promised. "I'll have all on carrying myself over it."
The race is an important fundraiser for us as we are wholly reliant on such events and on donations from charitable trusts. With expenses exceeding £20,000 pounds annually, every donated pound helps. A few weeks ago another of our volunteers, trainee instructor Abbi Robinson, completed the Manchester 10K in an inspiring 59 minutes and 54 seconds and raised £800 for RDA. Abbi has given Mike and Carole a hard act to follow but as long as the group benefits they will be happy. Anyone who would like to sponsor Mike or Carole should phone 0771 0916040.
Sunday's race starts at 9.35am and the lead runners are expected to complete it by 10.03am, taking in sites such as St.James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, St.Paul's and the London Eye to name but a few. Mike hopes to run it in an hour and Carole in a less ambitious hour and a half so "no danger of either of us having to carry an Olympic torch over the finishing line," Carole promised. "I'll have all on carrying myself over it."
The race is an important fundraiser for us as we are wholly reliant on such events and on donations from charitable trusts. With expenses exceeding £20,000 pounds annually, every donated pound helps. A few weeks ago another of our volunteers, trainee instructor Abbi Robinson, completed the Manchester 10K in an inspiring 59 minutes and 54 seconds and raised £800 for RDA. Abbi has given Mike and Carole a hard act to follow but as long as the group benefits they will be happy. Anyone who would like to sponsor Mike or Carole should phone 0771 0916040.