Spar has stepped in to sponsor Millom Striders’ 10k Lighthouse Road Race and Family Fun Run event taking place this month.
Runners from across Cumbria and beyond are expected to line up in Millom for the start of the event on Sunday May 29 – the first major race the running club has been able to hold since restrictions brought in by the pandemic were eased.
The start and finish of the race will be at the Ski Bar at Port Haverigg Marina Village Holiday Park, and as well as the main race at 11am, a Family Fun Run will kick off at 10am. Participants do not need to be a member of the Millom Striders and it is open to runners of all abilities.
The profile of the event has been boosted after Tony and Emily Barrow of Wharton’s Garage and Spar store in Millom joined forces with James Hall & Co Ltd, Spar UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for Northern England, to sponsor the event.
This includes race bib sponsorship, food and water at feed stations, and branding at the start and finish line.
The Millom Striders Running Club was founded in 2018 and was born out of a group of regulars who initially met at the Millom parkrun. Having caught the running bug, the group wanted to grow to broaden its membership, and it received England Athletics affiliation in December 2018.
At its height, the group had a membership of over 150, but that has declined to around 100 over the last two years. The group is hoping to make strides in 2022 and boost its membership to pre-pandemic levels.
Andrew Rigg, chairman and one of the founding members of the Millom Striders, said: “We’re thrilled Spar has come on board to support our event and we are raring to go now that we are into May.
“It has been a challenging time for clubs and societies recently, but 2022 has started well for us with some strong performances in our junior ranks which is a growing area of our membership. We’re hoping the Lighthouse 10k will be a platform for developing our membership further still with all age groups.
“The route around Millom is a flat one, and it is open to anyone who wants to take part. You don’t even need to be a runner – you can walk the route if you choose to.
“Event timing is included as part of the entry, and all entrants who finish the Lighthouse 10k Race will receive a medal.”
Tony Barrow, of Wharton’s Garage, said: “Millom is a really close-knit community, and we are more than happy to show our support for grassroots events like the Lighthouse 10k.”
