Bupa Great North Run event founder Brendan Foster was joined by local children and a young Emmerdale celebrity to urge youngsters to lace up their trainers and show the grown-ups how it’s done at the launch of the Bupa Junior and Mini Great Runs.
Emmerdale’s Belle Dingle, 12-year-old actress Eden Taylor Draper, will officially start the Bupa Junior and Mini events around the country including the Bupa Junior Great North Run on Saturday 18 September 2010.
Eden is also taking part to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, the nominated charity of the Bupa Junior and Mini events.
Eden says: "I can’t wait to get running for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. The charity running team is called the Banana Army because of the bright yellow shirts! If you’re 3-16, grab your trainers and join the Banana Army. We’ll have loads of fun and raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to help beat childhood leukaemia!"
Ciaran and Ethan Butterworth, from Whitley Bay attended the launch and will run in the Bupa Mini Great North Run in September. Ciaran, who is eight, and Ethan, six, are running in memory of their dad, Nigel Butterworth who died of lymphoma in 2007.
Claire Butterworth, Ciaran and Ethan’s mum, says: “Nigel told Ciaran and Ethan that he wasn’t going to make it. Just after he died from lymphoma, we talked about the Bupa Mini Great North Run and they really wanted to do it for daddy. They have run every year since and they’ve got their friends involved too! I feel really strongly about raising money and ensuring something positive comes out of such tragedy.”
The Bupa Junior and Mini Great Runs are the most popular running events in the UK, with over 12,000 children taking part in 2009. All junior runners will be chip timed to give an accurate finishing time with times published on the Great Run website after the event. Each entrant will receive a t-shirt and finishers will receive a medal and finishers pack.
To sign up, visit http://www.greatrun.org or to contact Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research’s Banana Army, please call 0207 269 9096, email running@llresearch.org.uk.