HOYLAKE'S record-breaking 10K run is set to raise more than £10K for people with special needs in Wirral.
Now in its 19th year, Hoylake's 10K, broke all records on Sunday (September 9) by having the most runners take part since it was founded.
And today organiser and run secretary Carla Williams said that it was thought as much as £10,000 will be raised which will be ploughed into Wednesday Special Needs Club in Hoyle Road. Ms Williams said it was money badly needed and there was already equipment they needed to replace with the funds. She thanked those who made the day a special event. As many as 814 registered with 720 taking part in the coastal run on the day. Ms Williams said she never anticipated the event would grow to the size it is today. She said: 'We started the 10K really to raise a bit of money to help us go along. The first one we had a lot of positive comments so we thought we'd do it again.
'The first four or five years was the hardest, there was no email and we didn't have any money for publicity. But in the last four or five years you wouldn't believe it and this year we had 720 runners.' Ms Williams said that she thought the Olympics may have given people inspiration to take part, saying: 'Maybe it was the Olympics, people wanting to do things, which is wonderful. Or maybe it was the weather, it's been terrible throughout the summer but good these past few weeks.' The money raised will be spent on the club's soft play sensory resource which is open five-days-a-week at Hoylake Community Centre. They already need to buy a new hoist after the club's broke six weeks ago.
First man across the finish line was Greg Jones, 28, in 33 mins 59 seconds from Wallasey AC. First woman to finish was Sophie Hunt, 20, from Wirral AC, in 38 mins and 10 seconds.
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Source - Wallasey News - Monday, 10/09/2012 by Helen Hunt
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