Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice’s annual Mini Marathon turns 10 this year, with the race around Greenwich Park taking place on May 14.
Up to 1,000 children aged between 5 – 16 will walk, jog or run the 2.62 mile route, which begins at Greenwich Park Bandstand.
We spoke to Augusta Adu, Events Manager for Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice, about the history of the Mini Marathon and her hopes for its future…
The Mini Marathon was prompted by the London Marathon, which begins in Greenwich Park every year and is also predominantly a charity event, with runners raising money for causes close to their hearts. Inspired by the TV interviews broadcast from Greenwich Park Bandstand before the start of the London Marathon, the hospice team decided to develop a Mini Marathon for the children of families using its services.
“We were looking for a way to connect with families, particularly children, getting them active and fit,” recalls Augusta, who joined the hospice team in 2013 just after the first Mini Marathon.
The number of runners taking part was modest at first, but it soon grew. “We started off with 300 children in the first year. At its peak, before the pandemic, we had 1,800 children running around the park.
During the pandemic, the event went virtual, with children sending in photos and videos of themselves running around their garden, on treadmills, along the Thames and even on their balcony.
While the Mini Marathon has been held in person again since 2021, numbers still aren’t back at pre-pandemic levels just yet. Still, Augusta is confident they’ll get there eventually. “It’s steadily increasing every year,” she says. “Last year, there were 750 kids running, this year there’s 1,000.”
The event is open to children aged 5 -16, but those under 8 must run accompanied by an adult. Fancy dress is optional, with some little ones choosing to come as their favourite superhero – and one regular runner, Tayden, dressing as an NHS worker.
“Adults can dress up too,” adds Augusta. “We’ve had Captain Jack Sparrow, Where’s Wally and Minions running the race in the past.” Registration for this year’s Mini Marathon closes on May 9, but your brood can still head to Greenwich Park to cheer on the runners on May 14.
Many of the children will be running in memory of loved ones cared for by the hospice, and so it’s both a moving and empowering event for many families. “It’s a bittersweet occasion; some families find it quite emotional, especially when their kids run up the big hill,” says Augusta.
For many, the event is a chance to do something uplifting with their grief. Augusta explains: “It gives families and children, in particular, a chance to remember their loved ones. It allows them to do something really positive and meaningful, and raise money so other families can benefit from the type of care their loved ones would have received.”
Beyond the personal reasons inspiring those who are running, Augusta stresses it’s “100 per cent a community event. “There’s a vibe of everyone coming together to support the hospice and cheer on the kids as they run around the route.”
As for a reward, while we all know it’s the taking part that counts, there’s an eco-friendly Hospice Mini Marathon medal as well as a goody bag by way of additional encouragement for those who complete the course.
Local supermarkets are also providing cereal bars to help runners refuel, and this year, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the event, there will also be a special gift given to everyone who crosses the finish line.
While she can’t say in advance what it will be, Augusta hints: “It will be meaningful, useful and sustainable, something they can use throughout the summer.”
While primarily a fun-run, Augusta points out that for some children, running in this mass participation event is “the first thing they’ve done by themselves, and it really does inspire children to take up the mantle of becoming fit and active, and doing something for their local community.”
The fundraising target for the Mini Marathon this year is an impressive £50,000.
“We have more and more people who need our services, whether that’s coming to the hospice or in the community, and we hope to be able to support as many patients as we can and raise as much money as we can,” Augusta says.
As for the future of the Mini Marathon over its next decade, “our hopes are just to be able to keep offering this really great event for the community. We’d love to get back to pre-pandemic levels and numbers.”
The Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice Mini Marathon begins at Greenwich Park Bandstand, Great Cross Avenue, London SE10 8EJ. May 14, 9:30am. Admission: £10.
www.communityhospice.org.uk/support-us/events/hospice-mini-marathon/
