* From left: Nadine Isaacs from Cancer Research UK, challenge organiser Judy Smith, Simon Baynes MP and organisers Jason Morley and Sandra Woodhall.
Cancer Research UK has received its largest single North Wales donation of the year so far after collecting a cheque for £100,723 from organisers of this year's record-breaking Llangollen Round Challenge.
The total means the fourth challenge, held over the last weekend in May, raised a record amount for the charity.
The often gruelling 35-mile run/walk through the beautiful yet tough terrain of the hills surrounding the town saw a record 500-plus participants who either walked or ran around it.
The event, which operates thanks to a small army of volunteer helpers, can be completed in either one or two days and also saw another record set for the route being completed in the fastest time.
Since being launched in 2012 by members of the Llangollen Ramblers group and based roughly on the Alpine Walk Tour of Mont Blanc, the amount raised for Cancer Research UK by the challenge has climbed steadily from £33,000 to the latest total which will be further boosted by government returns on charity donations.
The 2022 challenge attracted over 500 entries from across the UK and abroad and saw 238 walkers or runners finishing it in a single day with another 189 completing it in two.
A fresh record was set when the first person back at the event's Llangollen Leisure Centre base was certified to have covered the whole 35 miles in just seven hours.
The fastest woman completed it in just seven hours and 34 minutes.
The two oldest people to complete the course were aged 90 and 87.
As usual 80 volunteers manned checkpoints along the route where those taking part were served with water supplied free by local businesses and cakes presented by home bakers in the area.
More helpers were back at base checking in participants and handing out their times.
Nadine Isaacs, relationship manager (North Wales) at Cancer Research UK, said: "Forty years ago the cancer survival rate was one in four. Today it is two in four but Cancer Research UK's mission is to reduce this further to three in four.
"Without the support we receive from fundraisers such as you we could not continue with our research."
Helping challenge organisers hand over the big cheque to Nadine in Riverside Park this morning (Friday) was Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes who congratulated them on what he called their "fantastic achievement".
No comments:
Post a Comment