The first ever Sanlam Go Dad Run on the South Coast has been hailed a great success by organisers.
It took place in Hove Park yesterday morning (Sunday, June 25) when men and boys from across the region pulled on their big blue Yfronts to run a 5K or 10K and raise awareness of men’s health issues and funds for five partner charities.
Olympic gold medalist hurdler Sally Gunnell and six-time world champion swimmer Mark Foster were on hand to set the runners off and then present them with their medals as they crossed the finish line. Go Dad Run’s founder, Colin Jackson, sent a special audio message.
Riptide Gym’s Matt Bartsch lead the mass participation warm-up. Coastway Hospital Radio’s Jason Baker and Alex McCord shared the MC duties and with Martlets Hospice, as one of the benefiting charities the event had a strong local feel.
Mark Foster, said: “I’ve been an ambassador since Colin first created the project in 2013 and this is without doubt one of the very best and most fun atmospheres I’ve experienced at a Go Dad Run. It was great to see so many men and boys in the Park, especially as I visited Martlets Hospice recently and witnessed the amazing work they do in the community.
Prostate Cancer UK, Bowel Cancer UK, Orchid and the Campaign Against Living Miserably were the national charity partners and all had runners taking part in an event that Sally Gunnell believes could become a massive annual fixture.
She said: “It is so exciting to see something new coming to Brighton and Hove and as this becomes established I think it will grow and grow as it is such a simple and fun idea and the guys seemed to love pulling on their big blue Yfronts, although some of the smaller boys needed a few safety pins to keep theirs attached !”
This was the third of seven Go Dad Runs that the three-time world champion athlete and BBC commentator Colin Jackson is organising around the UK this year and he was delighted with the response from the runners in Hove Park.
“It was very sad not to be there but I watched it on Facebook Live and have seen lots of photos and tweets and am really pleased with how much the guys and their families seemed to enjoy their morning. It is all down to the hard work of the organisers and charities and our wonderful volunteers and now that we’ve got a foothold in the City we look forward to making the 2018 Go Dad Run even bigger so that many more men think and talk about their health.”
For more information about Go Dad Run, click here:
All photographs by Hugo Michiels Photography