THE organisers of the award-winning Ealing Half Marathon have confirmed that more than £12,500 was raised at the 2016 race for a local school through an inspired fundraising initiative.

The event on 25th September saw a team of more than 30 parents, teachers and governors from North Ealing Primary School lace up their running shoes to raise much-needed funds, and their efforts have more than exceeded expectations.

Natasha Brown, who helped to coordinate the initiative, said: “The North Ealing School Parents & Teacher Association (PTA) started the project to try to raise a bit of money for the school, but mainly to have fun while getting fit.

“The Ealing Half Marathon team helped us get the project off the ground with training sessions and training advice initially, and later helped the team by providing local running club, route and nutrition information.

“It’s great that we have a community event like the Ealing Half Marathon on our doorstep. We never expected to raise so much money!

“Most of it went towards funding a new suite of ICT equipment for the benefit of all the children across the school, but there was money left over too.

“Everyone who took part had a wonderful day, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a go!”

It is certainly food for thought for other local schools wanting to boost their income and encourage physical activity over the coming year, with the next Ealing Half Marathon taking place on Sunday 24th September.

It also very much fits in with the ethos of the Ealing Half Marathon which, as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, ploughs all funds straight back into projects and activities within the local community, with a specific emphasis on sports and fitness.

Such projects have included setting up running clubs at schools and for adults, and drives to tackle childhood obesity.

The Ealing Half Marathon has been voted the UK’s best half marathon at The Running Awards for the last three years, and has once again reached the shortlist for The 2017 Running Awards.

A firm fixture in the running calendar, it is well known for its huge community support and lively atmosphere, each year attracting athletes from near and far wanting to soak up the #EalingFeeling. The 2017 race will be the sixth Ealing Half Marathon and is expected to be the biggest and best race yet.

2016 Race Director Kelvin Walker said: “We were delighted to be able to help with the set-up of this great initiative at North Ealing School. By offering specialist training advice and coordinating group sessions, we were able to create a real team atmosphere with everyone willing each other on.

“We visited the school to discuss their wishes and together helped to assist parents, governors and teachers to get fitter, whilst raising valuable funds for the school.

“This inclusive approach is something we would love to assist rolling out elsewhere in the Borough – we have already been contacted by several local schools regarding the 2017 event, which is great to see.

“Our community work – which makes us unique amongst mass participation events, which tend to be dominated by commercial organisations – is something we are very proud of and very much look forward to continuing.”

North Ealing Primary School Head Mrs Flowers added: “I was delighted to play my part in raising school funds whilst getting fitter.

“The whole day was a fantastic experience and it was great to see the school come together both before and on the day.

“This forms part of our plan to increase activity levels amongst our pupils and it was brilliant to see so many of them cheering us on!

“With the development of the daily mile at school, combined with other recent initiatives, it does help to show what can be achieved at a school.”

Entries for the 2017 Ealing Half Marathon are now open, and any schools interested in entering a team should email the event organisers at info@ealinghalfmarathon.com for further details.

The Ealing Half Marathon is looking forward to welcoming 8,000 runners from over 25 countries to West London this autumn. #

It is expected that general places for the 2017 race will sell out in advance, as they did for 2016, and those wishing to be on the start line in Lammas Park in September are encouraged to secure their place early.

The 13.1-mile single lap, traffic-free course takes runners through parts of Central Ealing, Montpelier, Pitshanger, West Ealing, Hanwell and St Stephens before returning to Lammas Park.

The Lead Charities for the 2017 Ealing Half Marathon are Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society.

Entries for the Ealing Half Marathon 2017 are now open. Until 30th April 2017 the fee is £38 for affiliated runners and £40 for non-affiliated runners, and between 1st May – 31st July 2017 this rises to £40-£42. The organisers are expecting the race to sell out by the end of July.

Go to www.ealinghalfmarathon.com to sign up to the 2017 race. You can also like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ealinghalf and follow @EalingHalf #EalingFeeling on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news about the Ealing Half Marathon.