Sunday 12th July turned workmates into team mates for Schools Broadband, who for the second year running took part in the Clarion Leeds 10K Run for All Corporate Challenge, with Childnet as their chosen charity.
It was an early morning start for the Schools Broadband running team (well at least it was for the more committed members of the team!) according to team captain Luke Watson who reflected on an anxious but amusing start to the race.
“With a quick-fuel banana for breakfast, the majority of team members arrived in Leeds in plenty of time for a 9.30am start. But several minutes later not all members were present. After numerous worrying looks at our watches we began to get concerned, especially when it got to 9.25am and they still hadn’t turned up. Thankfully, with 5 minutes to spare, our missing team members arrived, having been all round Leeds looking for the start! Sadly they missed the official team photo, but at least we were a full team!”
So, off they went, Luke and Dave and the crew. The running conditions were perfect, until something experienced not very often in the North made an appearance – the sun! Needless to say conditions started to get hot, but the team battled on and were grateful of a large water tanker at the 9K point providing cold showers for the thousands of sweaty runners.
A respectful 66 minutes later and the team crossed the finishing line, with their fastest member only 11 minutes and 30 seconds behind the winner! “It was an immensely great feeling for everyone involved” added Luke “and I can thoroughly recommend it as a fantastic way to raise money for charity and a way to get to know your colleagues better. After we received our medals, our MD Dave treated us all to a well-earned beer that went down exceptionally well, even though it was before 11am!”
The team raised £500 through sponsorship from colleagues and friends and a lunch time bar-b-que they organised at work. The donation will be doubled by Schools Broadband, taking the overall figure to £1000.
Run for All is part of the lasting legacy of the late amateur athlete and fundraiser Jane Tomlinson CBE. Jane, from Leeds, made headlines around the world by taking part in a series of incredible endurance events – despite being diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Run for All is one of the UK’s biggest not for profit events companies, providing a fundraising vehicle for a huge number of local and national charities.
Schools Broadband is an award winning Internet Service Provider, dedicated to providing internet services to schools across the UK. They support a number of charities that work with children and have supported Childnet for the last 2 years.
To donate to Schools Broadband visit: https://www.justgiving.com/Schools-Broadband-Talk-Straight
