The London 10 Mile

The new London 10 mile race is in Richmond Park on  June 4 2017 on a car-free day. It’s not flat.

That’s 16km of fun in prep for your marathon or HIM/IM. It is significantly harder than 10km for most people, especially if you are relatively new to running. A good challenge.

June should be fairly hot but probably not the craziness of July/Aug.

I was offered a free entry but will probably not do the race, even though I am local, due to other commitments (I’m paying to race somewhere else!).

However I thought I’d still help spread the word as it should be a reasonably iconic event for those of you outside London (or indeed in London) who haven’t visited London’ biggest open space. It’s nice. And the official charity is GOSH, which is always worth a donation or two.

London, UK, January 2017

Entries are open for a major new 10-mile running event coming to the capital this summer. On June 4 2017, up to 10,000 runners will descend on the beautiful Richmond Park to take part in London’s only major closed road 10 mile running event – the London 10 Mile.

Richmond Park will be closed off to all forms of road traffic for one day this summer, providing runners with a truly special opportunity to take on a new and exciting distance on the closed roads of one of London’s most spectacular Royal Parks.

In addition to General Entries, participants will also have the opportunity to run for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, the London 10 Mile’s official charity partner. Money raised by runners who take part in this brand new event will make a vital difference to seriously ill children from across the UK who are cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)

The 10-mile distance is hugely popular in the United States, but still remains one of the less common middle distance road running categories in the UK. The London 10 Mile provides the perfect opportunity for runners to step up from 10K to a half marathon and it is hoped that the event will act as a catalyst for the 10 mile distance to grow in popularity within the UK.

Organisers CSM Active aim to make the London 10 Mile the UK’s most family-friendly running event and are calling on the whole community to come together and enjoy a brilliant day out in a traffic-free Richmond Park this summer. In addition to the 10 mile run, there will be a 1 mile Family Fun Run for the little ones and a free ‘Picnic in the Park’ event which offers runners, supporters and local residents the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the traffic-free park while enjoying some great food, drink, music and kids entertainment throughout the afternoon.

As part of CSM Active’s commitment to provide an unrivalled participation experience, all runners will receive free event photographs, a chunky medal, electronic chip timing, a premium goody bag and a free, three month trial of Mbition’s adaptive training plan.

Through CSM Active’s exclusive partnership with parkrun, the London 10 Mile will also give a percentage of its entry revenue to parkrun to enable them to continue the fantastic work they are doing with grassroots running in the UK.

The London 10 Mile is owned and organised by CSM Active, the new mass participation events division of CSM Sport & Entertainment, chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe and headed up by former international athlete Jon Ridgeon. The London 10 Mile is the first running event within CSM Active’s growing mass participation event portfolio, having recently launched the sold-out Velo Birmingham closed road cycling event.

Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of CSM Sport & Entertainment, commented: “The London 10 Mile is an important event for the business as it represents the first of a number of running events we will be launching in 2017. The accessibility, popularity and benefits, both physical and mental, of running is why the sport is a key part our growth strategy in the mass participation sector.”

Jon Ridgeon, Executive Chairman of CSM Active, added: “Combining a closed road 10 mile running event with a fantastic day out for all the family, the London 10 Mile has all the ingredients to be a real success and is a valuable addition to London’s mass participation event calendar. We are excited to help raise the profile of the 10-mile distance and are encouraging runners of all levels of ability to test themselves over a distance that is a proven stepping stone from a 10K to a half marathon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Parks for its support in helping this event go from concept to reality.”

Alun Mainwaring, Head of Event Development for The Royal Parks, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome the London 10 Mile to Richmond Park this summer. Richmond Park offers visitors spectacular views across London, and is the perfect backdrop for our exciting new family friendly running event. With a range of activities taking place across the day, the London 10 Mile will be great day for the whole family to get involved in.”

Laura Savory, Head of Community Fundraising at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, said: “We are delighted to be the official charity partner for the London 10 Mile which is such an exciting addition to the running calendar. The charity helps fund pioneering new research, the most up to date medical equipment, support services for children and their families, and supports the essential rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital so all money raised will make a vital difference. I wish everyone who takes part the very best of luck.”

Nick Pearson, Chief Executive of parkrun, said: “We are excited to partner with an organisation that shares our mission to encourage people of all abilities, including families, to get outdoors and take part in physical activity. The London 10 Mile is a great opportunity for parkrunners to take a step up in distance and experience a major closed road event whilst still enjoying the friendly, supportive atmosphere they find at parkrun. Tens of thousands of parkrunners start their running journey at parkrun before tackling bigger challenges. Our partnership with CSM Active gives parkrunners the perfect place to take on one of those challenges, whilst contributing to the ongoing sustainability and success of parkrun.”

A limited amount of Early Bird entries are now available at: www.london10mile.com