from Athletcis Northern Ireland Dame Mary Peters has already got her 70th birthday celebrations up and running with the launch of a special 10K road race, sponsored by Linwoods Foods. The Mary Peters Trust 10k Road Race event takes place on Sunday 5th July, on the eve of Mary’s 70th birthday, and will also include a ‘Run a Mile for Mary’ Fun Run.
Both races start and finish at the Mary Peters Track, Northern Ireland’s premier athletics track on the outskirts of Belfast and are sponsored by Linwoods, organised and promoted by Athletics Northern Ireland and supported by Sport Northern Ireland.
Registration for both events is now open online at www.niathletics.org and Dame Mary has called on runners from all over the province, no matter what their age, to rise to the challenge and help raise charity funds for her Trust.
The Mary Peters Trust was established to commemorate Mary’s gold medal win in the 1972 Munich Olympiad and helps support talented young sportsmen and women, both able-bodied and disabled, from across Northern Ireland with cash awards designed to offset out-of-pocket expenses incurred in training and competing.
Mary is looking forward to celebrating her July birthday in the manner she loves most – supporting and encouraging young athletes, and says;
“It will be so uplifting to see people from all over the province turning up to race in support of the Trust and the event is, of course, especially meaningful for me because of my 70th birthday. It is my heart’s desire to keep sport foremost in minds and lives of our young people. We have so much talent in Northern Ireland that needs and deserves to be nurtured, so get out those running shoes, give the race a go and let’s raise lots of money for our young sporting stars of the future!”
Joanne Hayden, Marketing Manager for Linwoods, the event sponsor, was there to help Mary launch her event and said;
“I’d like to congratulate Mary on her up and coming birthday and what better way to celebrate this great milestone than to have a charity road race. The Mary Peters Trust, with the Olympic flame as its logo, is there to light the fire of sporting success in the hearts of our youth and it’s a cause that Linwoods is exceptionally proud to lend its support to.
In recent years we have has expanded our range of healthy eating products to include seeds and berries as well as ‘Just 1%’ milk and the new ‘Goodness’ range of breads. Healthy eating goes hand in hand with sporting achievement and Linwoods hopes to nurture both by supporting the Mary Peters Trust events.”
Clare McCoy, Marketing Manager for Athletics Northern Ireland, also welcomed this new event in the local sporting calendar:
“Mary Peters is an iconic figure in Northern Ireland and has contributed so much to sport, especially to athletics and to the governing body, Athletics Northern Ireland. This event will not only be a unique way to help celebrate her 70th birthday but will also be a fun day out for the family with many activities planned at the Mary Peters Track.”
To enter the event log on to www.niathletics.org
Notes to Editor
There is a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk and 10k race and each entrant will receive a special commemorative t-shirt while ChampionChip timing will be in operation and prizes are up for grabs for the top finishers.
Entry forms are available at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast or enter online at www.niathletics.org
Mary Peters is the patron of Athletics Northern Ireland