THANET MILE RETURNS FOR SPORT RELIEF

The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile is returning to Thanet and local people can sign up now to take part and raise money for a worthy cause.

The first Thanet Mile was held in 2010, with more than 100 runners taking part, and now the council’s Sport Matters team, who are hosting the event for the second time, are hoping even more people will dust off their trainers and enter for this year’s event.

You can enter by visiting www.sportrelief.com and putting in your town or postcode, which will bring up details of the Thanet Mile. The event starts at 9.30 am on Sunday 25 March at the Marlowe Academy and you can choose to run either one mile, three or six miles, with each race starting at 10.30 am. Each race will start on the community athletics track at the Marlowe, but the race will include both track and field elements. Entry fees, which help cover the cost of staging the event, are £6 for an adult, £3 for a child and £15 for a family.

Cllr. Iris Johnston, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Sport Relief has got a superb record of raising millions for those facing tough lives both here in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries. You don’t have to be sporty to take part, with distances starting at just one mile and it’s not a race against the clock either. Maybe it was your New Year’s resolution to get fit for 2012, in which case this gives you a target to aim for. In this year of amazing sports action right on our doorstep, we want to see as many local people as possible taking part in the Thanet Mile.”

The Sport Relief Weekend kicks off on Friday 23 March when everyone gets active, has fun and raises cash at home, at work or at school; before settling down to watch a night of top Sport Relief TV on BBC One. There will be even more BBC radio, online and TV coverage throughout the weekend. At the end of the weekend, the whole nation will come together to take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 25 March.

To enter the Thanet Mile 2012 visit www.sportrelief.com and for more information, contact Colin Rouse on 01843 577032.