Join the Purple Wave and run to Singapore with Lemn!
04 Feb 2019
Registration now open for the hundreds of University staff, students and alumni who will be joining Europe’s largest race over 10km.
For the fourth year in a row, runners from the University – this year including its Chancellor Lemn Sissay – are expected to take part in The Simply Health Great Manchester Run.
The internationally renowned 10k race will be staged for the 17th time, with the day also including a half marathon in the heart of the city on Sunday, 19 May.
Last year, 2,283 people donned the famous purple shirt to form their own Purple Wave in the race around Central Manchester.
And this year, there’s a boost for people who want to get into running but need that little extra bit of confidence.
For the first time ever, The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, in partnership with the Great Run Company, are organising a 2K and 5K run on Wednesday, 27 February at Platt Fields Park.
By entering one of the events, the Purple Wave will run, walk or jog 30,000km across the world and reach Manchester’s international centre in Singapore.
Runners taking part in one or more of the events will be add kilometres to a live tracker that will journey through various global locations showing off some of the social responsibility work the University delivers.
Lemn Sissay said: “Being active is not only great for your physical health but it’s brilliant for your mental wellbeing, and – believe me – it’ll make you feel good and it’ll make the people around you feel good too.
“This is the biggest Higher Education running wave across the entire country. It helps motivate you from the inside out – it helps you with your mental health and your physical wellbeing – it helps you help yourself. So run!”
Vicky Ackerley, our Head of Sport, said: “Over these four years, the Great Manchester Run has profoundly shown that most people can take part in active sport and the majority will derive great benefit to their physical and mental wellbeing.
“Along with other the good causes, some of the runners will be raising cash for The University’s acclaimed Undergraduate Access Scholarship scheme support’s bright young people who come from the most deprived parts of Greater Manchester.
“So many of our brilliant staff, students and alumni inspire and encourage others to join them.
“It’s a fantastic achievement to consistently bring at hundreds of people to this great event and because of that we are currently the only organisation to have our very own starting wave.
“You don’t have to be a great athlete to join the purple wave – just a belief in yourself and the people around you.”
‘Be Active’ is one of the University’s ‘Six ways to wellbeing’ campaigns this year, encouraging staff to make positive changes to keep feeling good and living well.
University staff will be entitled to a free Purple Wave registration if they fundraise a minimum of £100 for scholarships for local disadvantaged students or students from developing countries, or for breakthroughs in medical research at the University.
Runners of the Purple Wave 2018 supported Manchester’s flagship widening participation scheme, Manchester Access Programme (MAP), by fully funding the first ever Purple Wave Undergraduate Access Scholar.
This year, University Sport team is proactively supporting a walking group through all the events.
Register now
To register, visit the Purple Wave website or for further information contact:
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