Coventry College launches Festival of Running

@CoventryCollege is throwing its support behind Coventry Festival of Running – which is hosting four different races across the city next spring – with a volunteer recruitment drive among students and staff.

The Festival of Running is scheduled to take place on Sunday 21 March 2021 and will include the 2.5K wheelchair race, Coventry 5K and half marathon. Details about the Children’s Mile will be released at a later date.

The College had agreed to support the initial Festival of Running back in March 2020 before it was rescheduled due to Covid-19. Despite the unforeseen challenges posed by the pandemic, the city’s leading further education provider has reaffirmed its support for the 2021 event.

News of the College’s continued commitment to the Festival of Running coincides with Love Colleges Week, which runs between 19 and 23 October, and is an initiative run across the Further Education sector to celebrate the role that UK colleges play in their wider communities.

Carol Thomas, Principal and CEO at Coventry College, said:

“As a College we are passionate about making a difference to the community not just by teaching within our own walls, but further afield too, and the Festival of Running is an ideal way of doing that.

“Exercise is important for everybody at a time when we are spending more time indoors. Not only is this event important for physical and mental wellbeing, it also provides a fantastic opportunity for our students to support the event with the skills that they are developing with us on a daily basis.

“Whether it is our performing arts students providing entertainment to participants, our sports students conducting warm ups before the race, or our event management learners supporting the festival in a backroom capacity, we are looking forward to exploring ways that we can collaborate with the Festival of Running team to make it the best one yet.

“We teach around 8,000 students a year, and we know how important a role exercising outdoors can play in leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle alongside studies. We are hoping as many students as possible will take part and raise money for a cause that matters to them.

“Good luck to all of those who are entering!”

Michael Nortey is Head of Partnerships at Coventry University Students’ Union, which is organising the Festival of Running.

He added: “As a key partner, Coventry College have supported the Festival of Running over the last couple of years and we are pleased that this relationship continues to move forward. This renewed commitment highlights the importance of the event to Coventry and the wider community. We look forward to working with both their staff and students to deliver a great event that the city can be proud of.”