A new running event is set to raise much needed funding for St Giles Hospice in Whittington near Lichfield.

The Drayton Manor Park 5k Family Fun Run is set to take place on Sunday November 12th 2006 and is being staged in and around the famous Drayton Manor Theme Park near Tamworth, with the Park’s management team fully behind the new event as they are also big supporters of St Giles Hospice.

Kevin Wilson of Lichfield based event organizers Sport 1st Events, is sure that the run will be supported by the running community of the Midlands as well as attracts a new audience of people wanting to run for the first time because of the good cause and also due to the unusual nature of the venue.

“We’ve always wanted to stage a run in a theme park, they are very visually attractive venues, free of traffic and with the full range of support structures in place such as toilet areas, refreshment facilities, plentiful free parking and ease of location, in all these things Drayton Manor Theme Park is a sure fire winner.”

And the link to St Giles Hospice ?
“My links with the Bryan family ay the Park have been good over the years, and our support of St Giles Hospice go back to 1998 when we first staged our major running event, the Dash in Lichfield. So to link the two together and hopefully have a field of hopefully 1000 people taking part would be fantastic!!”

There is also a special 1k children’s run aimed at young runners taking part in their first ever run, and this follows a route through the rides within the Park which will make the run even more exciting.

Any one interested in taking part or requiring more information should contact Paul Griffin at Sport 1st Events on 07947698147 or email kevwil17@hotmail.com. Race fees are for the 5k at 11am are £8 (attached) or £10 (unattached) and for the 1k at 10.30am its £2 (attached) and £4 (unattached).All proceeds from the 1k and £2 of every 5k entry fee will go directly to St Giles Hospice and every entrant will be sent a form to raise sponsorship for the Hospice as the events good cause.