Hannah Mills And Saskia Clark To Start Great South Run
Entries for the Great South Run, the Great South Run 5k and the Junior and Mini Great South Run are open at www.greatrun.org/south
Olympic champions Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will set participants on their way at the Great South Run on Sunday 23 October.
Good friends and sailing partners Mills and Clark, who sailed to Olympic gold in the Women's 470 class in Rio this summer, will be honorary starters at the world's leading 10-mile running event when it returns to Portsmouth this Autumn.
Hannah will then join over 20,000 others to take on the 10 miles, in aid of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, a charity set up in memory of Andrew “Bart” Simpson.
Double Olympic sailing champion Iain Percy founded the charity alongside Sir Ben Ainslie and Andrew's wife Leah, after Andrew tragically lost his life in an America's Cup training accident.
The charity aims to “inspire the next generation” by using sailing to transform the lives of young people in the UK and around the world.
After Hannah and Saskia's gold in the two-person dinghy helped Team GB finish the Olympic sailing regatta top of the medals table, Saskia then returned to dry land to work at the foundation.
The Great South Run starts and finishes in Southsea, overlooking the Solent, which provided the backdrop for the previous Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event that was hosted by Portsmouth in July.
The event gives participants a unique opportunity to run through Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, passing iconic landmarks such as HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum.
The fast and flat course has been graced by world-class athletes such as Liz McColgan, Paula Radcliffe, Sonia O'Sullivan, and Mo Farah, who won the men's race in 2009.
Hannah and Saskia, who are also nominated for the 2016 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, said: “It is wonderful for us to be asked to be honorary starters at the Great South Run in Portsmouth in a few weeks' time.
“Following on from the amazing events this summer, it is great to see events like this which really engage and motivate thousands of people to get out and get active.
“Hannah is going to go on and run it as well so if anyone fancies getting involved, there is still time.
“Getting girls involved in sport has always been important to us and it's something which Saskia is going to be focusing on whilst working for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, which uses sailing to engage young people and offer them fantastic opportunities moving forwards.”
The Great South Run has grown into a festival of sport in Portsmouth and Southsea, with 25,000 people taking part in four events across two days, including the Junior & Mini Great South Run and the Great South Run 5k.
To support the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation at the Great South Run, email: tim@andrewsimpsonsailing.org
Entries for the Great South Run, the Great South Run 5k and the Junior and Mini Great South Run are open at www.greatrun.org/south
Related Articles
1/11
Sold Out AJ Bell Great North 10k Saw 6,000 Runners
The AJ Bell Great North 10k took place this morning (Sunday, 7 July), and it was the biggest staging of the North East’s most popular 10k yet.
Great North Run Unveils Prestigious World Athletics Heritage Plaque on 43rd Birthday
Celebrating Great North Run’s 43rd birthday and the unveiling of the prestigious World Athletics Heritage Plaque.
One Month to Go Until the Great North 10k
Entries for the Great South Run, the Great South Run 5k and the Junior and Mini Great South Run are open at www.greatrun.org/south Olympic…
Statement from The Great Run Company
Entries for the Great South Run, the Great South Run 5k and the Junior and Mini Great South Run are open at www.greatrun.org/south Olympic…
This is the One!
Manchester’s biggest running event with 30,000 participants and 100,000 spectators is back this Sunday.
Celebrities Join Tens of Thousands in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run
Among the tens of thousands of participants taking part in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run are a host of celebrities running the 10k.
Power of Running: Helen Ryvar
Helen Ryvar is the Guinness World Record Holder for running the most consecutive half marathons, hitting 111 back in 2021. Read Helen's story.
Power of Running: Andrew Porter
Andrew Porter, 47, has ran every Great Manchester Run 10k since it started in 2003. Read Andrew's story.
Days to Go until the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run
With just 10 days to go until this year’s Great Manchester Run, the countdown is on for Manchester’s much-loved half-marathon and 10k event.
Power of Running: Halee Robinson
After falling out of love with running Halee signed up for the Great Birmingham Run and hasn't looked back. Read Halee's story.
Power of Running: Holly Tilt
Holly Tilt is making her comeback one year after sustaining a serious head injury. Read Holly's story.
