A community running event is to be held in Leicester next month, offering a total prize pot of £30,000 – the highest in the history of domestic UK racing.
New College, Leicester will host the SportsShoes.com podium Festival on March 16, with over eight hours of racing taking place over the course of the day ranging in format and distance.
It is estimated there will be 1,000 runners alongside 2,000 spectators attending, making it the largest SportsShoes.com Podium event organised to date.
Alongside the racing and brand village, additional plans for the event include 10 hours of live music, DJs and food and drink.
SportsShoes.com Podium Festival has been set up to cater for athletes of all abilities, ranging from junior levels to Olympians. There will also be attempts to break both the British and European 5-kilometre records in both the elite male and female races.
Plans for the event follow the retailer’s acquisition of community race organiser, Podium 5K to enable further record attempts and the diversification of its running events.
Dan Cartner, head of marketing at SportsShoes.com running events said: “Since Podium 5K was founded, it has set a new standard for community running events. Now, with the inaugural SportsShoes.com Podium Festival, we are taking it to the next level.
“This will be something the running community has never seen before with the fastest runners competing for the biggest prize pot ever seen in a domestic running event.
“The event will truly be an unmissable opportunity and is another example of us breaking the mould for our brand partners and the athlete community.”
Since its launch, Podium 5K has organised more than 45 non-profit races for affiliated and non-affiliated athletes expanded to include events in London, the Midlands and Wales.
Additional record-breaking runs at Podium 5K events include the British men’s road record of 13:20 achieved by Marc Scott and an unofficial women’s world record of 14:41 by Beth Potter. At the SportsShoes.com Podium 5K ‘Breaking 10’ event, British distance runner Emile Cairess broke the European 10-mile run record, clocking a time of 45:57.
Interested participants can find out more about how to enter the races at SportsShoes.com Podium Festival here.
