The Windsor Half Marathon has been a firm fixture in our diary for years now. Last year the SHINE on Windsor team was the largest ever and managed to raise a whopping £40,000 for our work. This year we want to do even better. Everything raised on the day will be matched by other SHINE supporters and now we’re on the hunt for runners – could 2014 be your year?

The race of 13 miles around Windsor Great Park is known as a gorgeous, interesting course amid beautiful countryside, with the imposing spectacle of Windsor Castle in the distance. And as a cornerstone of the SHINE calendar, it enables us to bring together a huge variety of SHINE’s supporters. Best of all, of course, is the chance it provides to raise lots of money for our work.

Bigger, better, faster?

And that’s exactly what last year’s SHINE on Windsor team achieved. The 2013 team was our biggest ever, with 32 runners raising an amazing £40,000 for our work. The question for this year is therefore: can we do even better? We hope so, especially with news just in that everything raised in sponsorship by the team will be matched by some generous SHINE supporters, thereby doubling our total for the day.

All we need now are some runners. You need to be enthusiastic, and in possession of some suitable shoes, and… that’s it, really. We don’t mind if you’re a super-experienced speedster who’s looking to beat your PB, or a total newbie who fancies giving it a go this once. Just as long as you’ve got some determination – and some friends, family and/or colleagues who are happy (or happy enough) to stump up some sponsorship to show their support.

Ideally, we’d like our runners to twist enough arms to bring in £250 or more in sponsorship each. In return, we’re providing post sign-up support for anybody who wants it, including a running plan and top tips from our more experienced team members.

Fun for all the family

That brings us to the big day – Sunday 28th September. As usual, SHINE’s hospitality tent will provide our runners and their entourage with tip-top pit-stop facilities, including refreshments and massages.

So that’s our sales pitch. If you’re interested or just want to know more, please email Paul Carbury at SHINE. To be sure of securing a place, please get in touch by Friday 25th April because we expect lots of demand for our slots. And quite right too: after all, not only will you experience a beautiful course and enjoy guilt-free smugness for weeks afterwards, you’ll also help SHINE kids stay the course and improve their own personal bests at school. That’s got to be worth a blister or two.