- The FREE to enter event organised by the Sanctuary Runners will bring hundreds together from across Ireland to take part in a 5km
- To take place on Sunday, June 19th, the eve of World Refugee Day
- Focussing on solidarity, friendship and respect with all in our communities – including migrants and refugees
An Irish solidarity-through-sport movement will stage its very first dedicated ‘Sanctuary Run’ at the Cross-Country Track in the Sport Ireland Campus this Sunday morning.
The 5km event, with support from Athletics Ireland, will bring together competitors from across Ireland including many living in Direct Provision and Ukrainians in the greater Dublin area.
The Sanctuary Runners, which recently won the award for ‘Best Initiative to promote inclusivity in sport’ at the Irish Sports Industry Awards, has groups in 30 locations across Ireland working with local communities and those living in Direct Provision centres – but this will be the first time they will have staged their own dedicated event.
“Its hugely exciting for us and we hope to encourage people to sign up for this free event and enjoy what’s going to be a really special occasion in the most beautiful of surroundings. We’re so grateful to Athletics Ireland for their support of this event and its so important we create positive moments like this which bring people together in solidarity, friendship and respect regardless of one’s nationality, legal status, culture, religion, gender or sexual orientation. This will truly be a run for everyone,” said Graham Clifford, founder and CEO of the Sanctuary Runners.
Participants can register to take part for FREE at The Sanctuary Run 2022 – Buy Tickets (eventmaster.ie)
Everyone who takes part will receive a free Sanctuary Runner t-shirt and medal with food provided for participants.
The Sanctuary Runners is also working with communities across Ireland to establish groups to run, jog and walk in their iconic blue t-shirts where Ukrainian people have arrived in recently.
The ‘Sanctuary Run 2022’ is also being supported by Trócaire and UNHCR Ireland.
Caoimhe de Barra of Trócaire said: “Trócaire is proud to partner with the Sanctuary Runners for World Refugee Day, and through this special event to stand in solidarity with the millions of people around the world who are displaced from home due to conflict and climate change.”
“The Sanctuary Runners is a unique movement which encourages and enables communities to include asylum seekers, refugees and others, in community life in towns and cities across Ireland. In our work around the world, we provide practical support to hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes, and also strive to give them a lifeline and hope.”
Those registering for the event will be asked to make a donation to Trócaire if they wish.
There will be 750 participants taking part in the 5km event on Sunday, June 5th and the portal to register will go live from next week. The event is free for all entrants. It will be a timed but not chipped event.
And throughout the month of June, Strava – the social platform for athletes and worlds largest sports community, will hold a ‘Sanctuary Run Challenge’ enabling athletes from all over the world to virtually participate in the Sanctuary Run. Strava has recently established its European headquarters in Dublin.
More information on all of these events can be found on Sanctuaryrunners.ie