GO Run For Fun

GO Run For Fun, the world’s biggest children’s running charity, is to work with The Daily Mile initiative to stage its biggest fun run on Thursday 14th July, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – and youngsters from across London and Greater London will be taking up the challenge.
4,000 primary children from around the UK will run the two-kilometre course, starting and finishing inside the world-famous former Olympic stadium.
The event is coordinated by The Great Run Company, creators of the Great North Run, Great Swim and Great Cycle. Everyone taking part will receive a free GO Run For Fun pink New Balance T-shirt.
The youngsters will also and get the opportunity to explore an interactive activity zone, featuring the GO Run For Fun animated kids TV series starring the charity’s mascot, Dart, teaching kids about the importance of good nutrition and exercise.
The young runners will be supported by a host of sporting celebrities, who will cheer the children on and give them training tips - including ex-Olympian runners Brendan Foster CBE, Colin Jackson, Richard Kilty and John Mayock; and Team GB 400m runner Emily Diamond who will soon be on her way to Rio for this year’s Olympics. The event will be hosted by Radzi Chinyanganya, Presenter of the BBC Children’s TV Programme Blue Peter, who will be joined by X Factor stars Reggie n Bollie.
The event hopes to promote to children how fun running can be, and to their teachers how easy it can be to build running into the school day each day. In the wake of its phenomenal success in Scotland, and growing popularity in the rest of the UK, The Daily Mile initiative is now working with various partners and schools to help children running every day towards a fitter and healthier future.
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: “It is fantastic that thousands of schoolchildren from Newham and across the country are being given a chance of a lifetime to run in the former Olympic Stadium.
“Our investment in the Stadium was to ensure a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games for our residents including through being able to hold a range of events in the venue for our local community. This event is a perfect example of why this was the right thing to do.”
The GO Run For Fun Foundation was established to address the growing childhood inactivity levels in the UK which are feeding the childhood obesity epidemic, a public health time bomb.
With a third of UK children now leaving school overweight or obese, the Government has committed to address this issue with a targeted policy strategy, due to be released later this summer. The Daily Mile Foundation and The GO Run For Fun Foundation are coming together to call on the UK Government to follow the lead of the Scottish Government in formally recommending The Daily Mile for all primary schools. Not only will this give children a guaranteed 15 minutes activity every day, but it also carries a host of other benefits including increased concentration, improved mood, and a more positive attitude to exercise for life.
Jim Ratcliffe, owner of INEOS and founder of the GO Run For Fun Foundation, explains: “I’m passionate about getting as many children running early in their lives. The idea is simple – to get children out of the house having fun. It is not rocket science. Running is the basis of so many great sports. If our children can catch the running bug early, they’re more likely to stick to it, and this can only lead to them having more active and healthier lifestyles in the future.
“Running for fun might just be our best weapon against childhood obesity - and where better to celebrate it than our Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.”
So far, over 160,000 children from 1,321 UK schools have taken part in GO Run For Fun events, while it is estimated that over 1000 UK schools are already doing The Daily Mile. This event rounds off a series of summer term talks and workshops by Daily Mile Founder Elaine Wyllie to local coun