Sanctuary Run 2022 - Free 5K Event on the XC track at Sports Campus Ireland - Sunday 19th June 11am

Bungy Girl · 08-06-2022 12:27pm #1

The inaugural Sanctuary Run takes place on Sunday 19th June, 2022. The run aims to celebrate inclusivity and diversity in Ireland. Organised by the Sanctuary Runners in partnership with Athletics Ireland, Trocaire, UNHCR Ireland and Strava, it is a timed (not chipped) event on the cross-country track which hosted the recent European Cross Country Championships.

The race takes place at Sports Campus Ireland, Abbotstown, D15 PN0N. The cross country track is located beside Abbotstown House. The race starts promptly at 11 a.m.

Online entry is available here: https://eventmaster.ie/event/dRP3cnGSwV

It is a FREE event and all are welcome! There is an optional donation during the online registration process to our partner Trocaire. All participants receive a commemorative medal.

You can collect your number on the day from 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. from the Registration Desk close to the race start.

Entry will be available online until 10:45 a.m. on the day of the event or until we have reached our maximum capacity, whichever comes first.

You can also sign up to our virtual challenge ‘The World Sanctuary Run 2022’ on Strava. Run/Walk 5k each week in June to show solidarity with migrants worldwide. Earn your ‘World Sanctuary Run’ badge and get 15% off our Sanctuary Run hoodies. Link to sign up is here: https://strava.app.link/WndMRKmPGqb

There will be a prize for the first male and the first female finisher.

All participants must be 14 years of age or older on race day.

Supporters are welcome and there are several points along the course where they can cheer and encourage you!

Sanctuary Run 2022 Flyer (public).png

Murph_D · 21-06-2022 12:56am

I signed up for this and might as well report back, as it was a different kind of experience than the usual race.

By way of disclosure, I’ve been a Sanctuary Runner on and off since 2016, mainly just participating in the odd parkrun or other event from time to time (the mrs is more involved than I am, so I get plenty of updates on what's happening elsewhere). So I’m well familiar with the general atmosphere at SR gatherings. For those who don't know, the main aim of Sanctuary Runners is simply run with refugees who are in Direct Provision, as a way to express (as the SR tee shirt says) friendship, solidarity and respect. That’s all that’s requested of anyone who gets involved in the smallest way - to connect with people through a mutual appreciation of running. For DP residents, it's a chance to meet Irish people, which is something that seems to be greatly valued by the people I've met, many of whom have developed a very strong attachment to Ireland.

The SR people are ambitious for the organisation, which has created branches across Ireland with plans to expand internationally. The founder, Cork journalist Graham Clifford, is an inspirational character. SR has ‘taken over’ a few events in its time (this year’s Cork Marathon had hundreds, maybe even thousands, of participants in the familiar blue tee shirts) and it was only a matter of time before a dedicated SR event was planned, and this is it.

With this weekend’s crowded race calendar, it was never going to be easy to get the attention of the wide running public, but I believe there were more than 600 signups. It’s a free event so maybe not too surprising that not all of those risk-free signups showed up on the day - the numbers seemed a little lower, but it was hard to know for sure as the National Sports Campus is a big venue. Certainly there were people from all over the country (and all over the world) in evidence on a spectacular day. Athletics Ireland had rolled out the welcome carpet too, which was great to see, with the Athletics Ireland Director of Participation rolling up her sleeves and helping out with the setup.

The race itself was a blast, with admirable attempts to line up runners, ‘joggers’ and walkers in the correct parts of the pen. Competitively it was probably closer to a parkrun than a club race (and in fact I did meet the ED of the resident Sports Campus parkrun afterwards - he'd passed me early in the second lap and I had a chat with him afterwards). The course was in magnificent condition and much more runnable than it was for the recent World Cross Country Championships - not a square inch of mud in evidence on the grass paths cut into the natural meadows, winding around the perimeter of the old Abbotstown House and demesne that makes up the cross country section of the National Sports Campus. I’ve run there before and it always feels like a privilege as it’s such an impressive setting. It was a fitting venue for this inaugural race, which hopefully will find a place in the calendar - I’d highly recommend for next year, it will certainly bring a smile to your face. Racing, football, dancing - and not short of post-race swag either. Plenty of tea and coffee and sandwiches available too. Could have done with some cake, but you can’t have everything. 😉

Good to meet some boards stalwarts from past and present too, including @Annie get your Run, @adrian522, @Bungy Girl and a good few more. This was a great success as an inaugural event and hopefully will become a permanent fixture.

More info here if anyone is interested: https://sanctuaryrunners.ie