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Suzy and Joanne in London Summer Run '21

London Winter Run returns with hybrid format

Have fun, raise funds and chill out in the London Winter Run

As the weather changes this week from the unusually mild conditions we have been enjoying our thoughts turn to 'London's coolest 10K', with 12 weeks to go before the Cancer Research UK London Winter Run reclaims its rightful winter slot on Sunday 13th February 2022.

Since the first edition in 2015, London Winter Run has carved a special niche in the calendar and is an annual sell-out with many runners returning every year. So what's the secret of this smash-hit race? The course is a humdinger, with many of London's iconic sights on the route that takes up to 20,000 runners from the start in Trafalgar Square to the finish near Big Ben.

There is a quality race up front involving some of the best distance runners around but many competitors are there for the serious business of fundraising – around 100,000 people have taken part, raising £4million for life-saving cancer research, since the inaugural run in 2015.

But perhaps what makes London Winter Run unique is the warmth of the atmosphere created by the many larger-than-life winter characters encountered on the course and the live musical entertainment that takes the mind off the pain of pushing to the limit for 30 minutes – or more than two hours as the final 15 competitors did in 2019.

Last year's London Winter Run was cancelled, ironically, due to the adverse weather and this year's race went ahead as the phenomenally successful Virtual Winter Run '21, with more than 10,000 taking part and the best part of £1million raised to help freeze cancer in its tracks.

Organisers put together this moving video to say thank you to the fundraising participants...

 

This year sees a hybrid version with the live event backed up by a free-of-charge virtual event in a start-of-the-art overhaul. Virtual runners will be able to track their training runs through the official website using the Strava app and unlock special badges as rewards for their efforts.

Mind you, virtual runners will have to supply their own cheering crowd, motivational music, and winter characters!    

Race and entry details at CRUK London Winter Run website here

Results and previous runABC South race reports are here

Image courtesy CRUK London Summer Run

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