On Sunday 19^th October, over 2000 people will be running through the university campus for the annual Cassidy Lady Godiva Half Marathon.

Students and staff will be out to support the runners who will take a route through Westwood campus, along University Road and up through Tocil Wood to Gibbet Hill campus before exiting on the Gibbet Hill Road towards the Kenilworth Road

Runners will be raising money for the official event charity - the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance – as well as many other personal charities. The Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) provides emergency medical service for the heart of England including Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. In 2007, a total of £10000 was raised for The Helen Ley Care Centre in Leamington Spa.

Lynda Thrift, wife of the Vice-Chancellor is running the half-marathon with friend Kannahi Muthalagappan to raise money for children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. They hope to raise £2000 between them. Last year, Lynda completed the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 36 minutes raising money for the the Samaritans.

Lynda said of her training schedule: “I try to do something five days a week, including a full ‘work-out from hell’ with one of the University of Warwick's personal trainers, who is determined to make sure I do the run in a good time.”

The inaugural Lady Godiva Half Marathon took place in 2005. Organised by the Coventry Partnership, the half marathon project was designed as a way to help reduce health inequalities in Coventry.

• To find out more about the race, visit the Lady Godiva Half-Marathon website

 

Photo by Ashmorevisuals