Run The Ealing Half and Help The Homeless

Enter before the end of this month and local charity will benefit

Get your running shoes on...a donation of £5 will be made to Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter from each Ealing Half Marathon race entry received before the end of this month.

Entries to the Ealing Half Marathon 2016 opened the day after the 2015 race in September, and the organisers have been working closely with the Anglican churches since the inaugural event in 2012 with the congregations on the running route manning the water stations.

Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter (ECWNS) is run by an ecumenical coalition of churches within the London Borough of Ealing and they provide emergency dormitory style accommodation for up to 14 guests from those who are sleeping on the streets, are at immediate risk of rough sleeping locally and the ‘hidden homeless’. The shelter is open during the winter months from late November to the end of March, and on each night of the week a different church opens its doors to their guests, providing a hot meal, somewhere to sleep, breakfast and companionship.

Race Director Kelvin Walker commented: “The Ealing Half Marathon is different to many races and events out there because it is organised by a Community Interest Company (CIC), which benefits the community rather than private shareholders. ECWNS provides for the most basic and essential needs for homeless people – sleep and food - and also has a wider impact on the community through the extensive network of volunteers. We are proud to support the Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter and we are hoping to raise vital funds for this great cause.”

Alison Wood, Project-Co-ordinator at Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter said: “We are delighted that the Ealing Half Marathon is once again helping to fund our work with homeless people in Ealing borough. It’s great to get this news just as we are about to open for another season. Every £5 covers a night’s rest for one person in a shelter out of the cold.”

The Ealing Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 25th September 2016 and will be celebrating its 5th anniversary. The race is well known for its huge community support and great atmosphere with runners travelling from all over the UK and abroad to experience the #EalingFeeling .

The Ealing Half Marathon has established itself as a firm fixture in the running calendar and was voted "Best Half Marathon" by runners at The 2015 Running Awards in London for the 2nd year in a row, proving the popularity of the event. The race starts and finishes in Lammas Park and features a 13.1 mile route on closed roads around the leafy streets and parks of the West London Borough. A total of 8,000 places are available for 2016 and entries cost £36 for affiliated runners and £38 for unaffiliated runners.  

A new charity structure was unveiled for the 2016 race, with Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK and CLIC Sargent announced as the Official Charity Partners.

December 18th 2015