NUI Galway and Kingfisher Fitness Club announce details of annual 8km race in aid of Jigsaw
In association with the Kingfisher Fitness Club, NUI Galway hosts its third annual charity 8km run/walk on Saturday 10 October at 10am.
The route is a traffic-free, mixed terrain run around the University’s campus and along the river Corrib’s banks. The event’s official charity partner is Jigsaw Galway and coincides with global events around World Mental Health Day. It is proudly supported by Aerogen, and all proceeds raised from this event will go to Jigsaw Galway.
Jigsaw Galway is a free, confidential support group, also proudly supported by Aerogen, servicing the mental health and well-being of young people aged 15 to 25, living in Galway city and county. It also provides advice and guidance to parents, family members, friends and other professionals worried about a young person.
“We are so delighted to be the charity partner for the NUIG 8K; it has been such an amazing experience to be involved in this fantastic event,” said Justin McDermott of Jigsaw Galway.
“Not only do the funds raised for Jigsaw make a huge difference, it also gives us a unique opportunity to raise awareness amongst students and staff of NUIG, and indeed the wider community, of our service.”
This charity event forms part of the NUI Galway Alumni reunion programme, which takes place from 9 to 11 October on campus, and is a wonderful opportunity to bring together students, staff, alumni and friends of the University in one place to participate in a fun event suitable for all ages and levels of fitness.
There are lots of family-friendly activities planned to coincide with the race to encourage participants to bring their children and grandchildren along: from tours of the Zoology and Marine Biology Museum to live music and Sean Nós singing workshops, the day is perfect for families to come and walk and/or run the campus together.
In announcing the event, NUI Galway Vice-President for the Student Experience Dr Pat Morgan said; “Building on our very successful 8km event on campus last year, which attracted over 600 participants, we look forward to another great event for staff, students, alumni, friends and neighbours on October 10th.
“Little things make a difference, ‘the more you move, the better your mood’ being our key message in support of better mental health; take this opportunity to enjoy our wonderful campus and show your support for Jigsaw.”
The event is open to everyone, with runners and walkers of all fitness levels catered for. To register for the NUI Galway 8km, please log on to Run Ireland’s website: http://www.runireland.com/events/nui-galway-8k-0.
On the day of the event, participants should arrive at the Kingfisher Fitness Club for registration from 8am onwards; this will close at 9.15am. Registration will also be available at the Kingfisher on Friday 9 October from 6pm to 8pm. However, the Kingfisher would like to stress that registration on both days will be quite limited, and to encourage everyone – if possible – to register beforehand so that the Friday/Saturday can be used to collect numbers and resolve any last-minute issues.
Parking will be available on campus, drivers will need to follow local signage and directions from marshals and further updates are also available on the event’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NUIGalway.8kRun.
Also, just in case you need to fine-tune your fitness in advance of the event, the Kingfisher is running training sessions to help with your preparation at 1pm and 6pm every Monday and Wednesday, further details for which are available from www.kingfisherclub.com or by contacting the Kingfisher on 091 540 300.
Any queries you may have regarding the event can be sent to nuigalway8k@kingfisherclub.com.
By Neil Slevin
