Homelessness remains a prevalent issue in the city of Manchester, but thousands of runners joined in unison to do their bit to tackle the crisis.
Founded by Manchester University’s very own Run Wild, the event offers the opportunity for runners of all abilities to get involved.
From elite runners to casual 5k starters, Run Wild attracts runners of all capabilities, allowing them to join together and experience the love of running while also helping others.
So, when they discussed a way to raise money to combat homelessness, it seemed perfect to stage a running event that all members were able to take part in.
Tom Lewis, of Run Wild and lead event organiser and founder of Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness, explained the planning ahead of the event.
“As a society we wanted to do something to support our city, we always liked the idea of a 24-hour event, but it can sound quite daunting at first.
“We wanted to make sure our fundraiser was accessible for everyone. We created a 5k lap so that everyone could run together as a group and stay safe.
“This way, people could come and run one 5k, or stay for as many as they like. We had some runners who managed to cover 100k during the 24 hours.”
This initiative has been welcome news for Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, which was founded when rough sleeping numbers peaked across the UK.
Team Administrator, Tom Allanson was beyond proud to see the work of Run Wild.
“We focus on alleviating and preventing rough sleeping, and people at risk of homelessness in Greater Manchester.
“When Andy Burnham ran for mayor in 2018, he set up a mayoral fund which got a significant amount of public fundraising.
“We are continuing with this work and one of our biggest schemes is ‘A Bed Every Night’, a unique service to Greater Manchester,” he said.
‘A Bed Every Night’ provides emergency accommodation for anyone in Greater Manchester who would otherwise be sleeping rough. 21 organisations help to deliver this, where people are given a bed, full wrap-around support, and food.
The money raised from the 24-hour challenge, over £12,600, will support this cause and fund 420 beds for those who need it most. Run Wild’s Tom Lewis was overwhelmed with the support for this occasion, where more than 1000 runners turned up to offer their support.
“We chose to go through the city centre and run where the problem is. We were equipped with t-shirts and flags to hopefully raise awareness.
“When I first came to Manchester for university in 2016, I was shocked at the number of people on the streets. We knew we had to do something to change this,” he said.
And so, they did, and not only did they raise amazing awareness for the campaign, but they also gifted the charity with thousands of pounds.
When Andy Burnham ran his campaign for mayor, one of his core pledges was to eradicate homelessness. While this mission has not been achieved yet, there are huge steps being taken by organisations like this to erase the issue.
Tom Allanson was proud to say that Andy Burnham attended the event.
“The mayor was really pleased to go down to 53two to thank everyone, it meant a lot to him, and he recognises that fundraisers like this genuinely save lives.
“He’s a runner himself, so hopefully next year we can get him running too.”
A simple concept with a huge impact, this event aimed and succeeded on bringing the community together.
It wasn’t just runners who showed their support either, 53two on Watson Street offered their venue for use of a warm place. This allowed the runners to re-group, recover and head out to tackle the challenge with their best efforts.
The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness proved to be incredibly successful, bringing attention to a real issue at hand whilst raising invaluable funds to solve it.
More details on Run Wild can be found here and on Greater Manchester Mayors Charity here.
Catch the full interview at https://youtu.be/uZ6sl_QsAXU
Interview by Wayne Drinkwater, Ultrarunner Magazine.
Article written by Katie Catherall, Ultrarunner Magazine.