A team of 31 event industry professionals and Meeting Needs supporters raised more than £25K on Sunday by grinding out 13 miles on the roads and the parks of London. They achieved the cumulative target of £250,000 raised by all the Meeting Needs teams in the past 10 years.Sunday`s total included sponsorship from ExCeL and Mags Worldwide and Gift Aid.
There was no Sunday morning lie-in for the runners as they took to the road from 9 am to join in the Royal Parks Half Marathon with 17000 fellow participants from other charities passing through Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Elliot Christie was the Meeting Needs fastest finisher with 1 hour, 30 minutes and 12 seconds but the most important statistics surrounded the fund-raising with Maris Kuklis the highest revenue individual raising £1,419 with trustee Chris Xenophontos in second place with £920. Individuals were required to raise a minimum of £400 each.
Maris also managed to rescue Claire Herbert who suffered a bad fall at the 4K mark but with Maris supporting her through the rest of the route, Claire completed it, despite her battered knee and bruises! Claire said: “Thank you all so much. So kind of you. I am feeling a little battered today and the bruises are coming out in force but so happy I got through it and huge thanks for all the amazing support.”
Esther Clark said: “What a day and what a fantastic group of people!”
Meeting Needs chair Lene Corgan said: “The Royal Parks Half Marathon is a wonderful example of what our events industry can achieve when we come together for a shared purpose.
“Every mile run, every pound raised and every person who gets involved helps us create a lasting positive impact. This is the power of our industry at its best — bringing people together, inspiring action and making a difference beyond the events themselves.”
