The RunThrough Foundation has announced that LONDON TEN, London’s first-ever free mass participation event, will take place on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The free, closed-road 10K event, organised by RunThrough, is billed as London’s first-ever free mass participation 10K race.
RunThrough adds that it aims to make this… ‘the world’s most diverse race, prioritising places to individuals from low income areas and from all backgrounds in order to break down barriers to entry and inspire as many people to take up running as possible.
‘The aim behind the LONDON TEN is to break down barriers to entry for those that otherwise may not feel empowered or inspired to take part in a running event and be able to see the physical and mental health benefits as well as being a part of the incredible running community.
‘RunThrough understands how important representation is in events like this, and is proactively building an ambassador team of people who are going to support this event and share that knowledge and ability to access as many people from as many backgrounds as possible. Running and RunThrough are spaces for everyone, irrespective of financial constraints, and the LONDON TEN embodies that sentiment.’
A percentage of places at LONDON TEN will be preferentially allocated to individuals from low-income areas of London, ensuring that the event remains accessible to all members of the community.
The event will have a capacity of 6,000 places and therefore, to give as many people as possible a chance to get their hands on a place there will be a series of ballot waves as detailed below:
- Wave 1 – complete
- Wave 2 – complete
- Wave 3 – closes September 1, 2024
- Wave 3 – closes November 3, 2024
- Final reallocation wave – November 24, 2024
“We feel so lucky to be able to organise and deliver the LONDON TEN, London’s first-ever free mass participation event,” said Matt Wood, Co-Founder of RunThrough.
“Our mission at RunThrough is to inspire active nations through running. By engaging underrepresented groups and communities, we aim to inspire individuals from all backgrounds to embrace the joy of running.
“We want to involve as many people as possible in running. We love running, it’s part of our blood but some people don’t have that. RunThrough is designed to bring anyone from any background, of any ability together to compete, enjoy a day out, make some new friends, improve their personal best or just keep fit and healthy.”
RunThrough is inviting community groups and leaders, both running and non-running, to engage with the event team. It will also be assigning a number of places specifically to community groups to allocate to their members as they see fit.
RunThrough adds that it also welcomes the voices of those in the community to collaborate on educational content in order to be able to best speak to as diverse an audience as possible, recognising the various barriers that people may face.
The Warrington Running Festival in 2023 was The RunThrough Foundation’s first iteration of a free event, which exceeded expectations with more than 30% of participants being first time runners. RunThrough notes that it is focused on delivering similar success for the LONDON TEN and is committed to making running a welcoming community for anyone.
www.runthrough.co.uk/foundation-london-2024
