Virtual Salisbury 10 mile race raises £2,000 for local Samaritans branch
Boost for local charity thanks to city's running club
The popular Salisbury 10 mile race was due to take place last April but, like many events in 2020, it fell victim to the pandemic.
Organisers, the City of Salisbury Athletics and Running Club, changed the event to a virtual race to be completed in November and December 2020.
Extra special t-shirts and medals had already been organised as it was the event's 25th anniversary.
Over 500 participants took part in the Virtual Salisbury 10 mile race, some running the actual Salisbury 10 route through the Woodford Valley and others choosing to run their own route nearer to home.
As there were some left over medals and T-shirts, these were sold so that new entrants could participate.
The proceeds of these additional places meant that an incredible £2000 was raised and donated to the local branch of the Samaritans charity.
Director of Salisbury Samaritans, Paul Jordan said;
“Thank you to everybody at the running club who was involved in the wonderful effort of raising £2000 for Salisbury Samaritans. We are especially grateful to receive this in a year when our usual big fundraising event, the Samsride sponsored cycle ride, could not take place because of the pandemic. Our volunteers have been magnificent this year, keeping our vital service going at close to a 24/7 level, and your efforts play a vital part in meeting branch expenses and making sure we’re there for those people who need us at any time of the day or night.”
The Salisbury and District Branch of the Samaritans, based at 42 Milford Street, is one of the oldest branches in the UK.
Volunteers deal with with 17,000 calls, face to face meetings, emails and text messages each year.
It costs over £70 a day to keep the service running.
You an contact the Samaritans on 116 123 free from any phone or by calling 0330 094 5717, local call charges apply.
Meanwhile the CoSARC race committee say they're grateful to those who participated in the Virtual Salisbury 10, and look forward to seeing everyone at the real life event in 2022.
You can view the full list of results on the club website.