Running with SPARKS

 Flora London Marathon 2005

We would love you to join us for the Flora London Marathon 2005 on Sunday 17^th April.

Why not make a practical, positive impact on the lives of babies and children by taking part in next year’s Flora London Marathon? Whether you already have applied for a public ballot place, or you would like to take one of SPARKS golden bond places, we would love to welcome you to our 2005 Marathon Team!

What support will I receive as a SPARKS runner?

All SPARKS Flora London Marathon runners, both golden bond entrants and successful ballet entrants, will receive a:

FREE SPARKS fundraising pack

FREE SPARKS running vest & t-shirt

FREE Professional Training Manual to help you prepare for the challenge ahead!

FREE Post Race Reception, including:

• Hot Meal & Drinks
• Sports Massage
• Shower Facilities 

All competitors will receive unlimited support and guidance from the SPARKS team, to help them maximise fundraising and also successfully complete the 26.2 mile course.     

For further information on how to become part of the SPARKS marathon team, please contact [email protected] or call 020 7799 2111.

SPARKS would like to say thank you to all those who made up the SPARKS team for this year’s Flora Light Challenge for Women. Over 80 SPARKS supporters ran in the 5km fun run that took place both in London’s Hyde Park and Birmingham’s city centre on Sunday 5^th September.

The SPARKS team was led by ex BBC presenter and SPARKS celebrity patron Floella Benjamin who ran a new personal best time, a great achievement. Floella was joined by over 30,000 women and girls making the event the largest women only fun run in the UK.

Lucozade is the new sponsor for 2005 with the fun run being re-named as the Hydro Active Challenge. Due to the overwhelming popularity, an additional race will take place in Liverpool, as well as in London and Birmingham. The event will be on Sunday 4^th September 2005. For more information please visit www.womenschallenge.co.uk.

SPARKS will again be recruiting for this race and we hope you will be able to join us.

For more information about the race please contact SPARKS on 020 7340 0687 or email [email protected]

The BUPA Great North Run in Newcastle and is the world’s largest and  most popular half-marathon. SPARKS currently funds a project local to the race at the UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE, investigating Neuroblastoma.

Each SPARKS runner receives a SPARKS running vest, sponsorship forms, training manual and fundraising tips.  If you are interested in joining us for this event, please e-mail [email protected] or call 020 7799 2111.

‘There are big-city marathons, and then there is the New York City Marathon. A breathtaking five-borough course. Thirty thousand runners from around the world. Millions of spectators. New York is a city unlike any other, and no other race can match the New York City Marathon’ (NY Road Runners Club).

The 2004 race is now full, but if you are interested in being added to our mailing list, please e-mail [email protected] or call 020 7799 2111.

 The largest triathlon in Europe takes place in london over the weekend of the 31st July and 1st August 2004 at the Victoria Docks.  Over 5,000 entrants will compete in the event and SPARKS is putting together a team to join them.

Our team is led by our ‘Olympic’ team of Adrian Moorhouse MBE, Dave Southby and Tim Foster MBE.  Joined by the other SPARKS competitors, we will be represented in almost every race over the event weekend.

Joining SPARKS qualifies you for the top fundraiser prize, prizes for the winning teams and a truly enjoyable experience!

If you would like to join the SPARKS team, e-mail [email protected] or call 020 7340 0687 for more information. You can choose to enter as an individual, or as a team into the London Triathlon, to support SPARKS continue to fund ground-breaking medical research.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Returning Champions retain PUMA 4some Title

Cross Training Event Combines Running, Swimming, Cycling and Football

University of Hertfordshire – Saturday, June 12^th

Almost 300 girls from all over the UK, gathered on Saturday 12^th at this year’s PUMA 4some event, the only women only cross training event of its kind. The event was held at The University of Hertfordshire’s state of the art brand new sports village. This unique event was launched last year for women who enjoy an active lifestyle and play sport to stay in shape.

The teams of 4 were competing for a place in the PUMA 4some European Grand Final that takes place at La Manga, Spain in September (22^nd-25^th) Here, the best teams from – Austria, France, Germany and Holland will compete for the overall title.

Each team of 4 girls completed a relay style event that incorporated a 2km cross country run, a 4 x 50m swim relay, 4km mountain biking and football 4 aside. This is the second year of this increasingly popular event, and with almost twice the number teams competing this year’s, versus last… the event is set to continue to grow.

Defending champions Loughborough, (Team name “Upstairs Massive”) who won the UK heats last year and came third in the European final, successfully defended their title, with 250 points, and saw off some pretty stiff competition.

Second and third places went to the Punchstellas, from Reading, and the Vic”4”ious from Middlesex respectively, with prizes donated by Giant bicycles and PUMA.

Most of the teams were representing their University and the mix of very sporty teams, with those there just to have fun made for a fantastic atmosphere with some real camaraderie being shown between the teams.

TV sports presenter Anna Walker – President of the event’s official charity, SPARKS, also took part with a team representing the charity and managed to come a very respectable 27^th place.

Spectators enjoyed the day too, with surf simulators, inflatable volleyball, live DJ, and catering. MTV closed the event with an exclusive party at Batchwood Hall, St. Albans, featuring four top female DJ’s.

For more information on the event go to http://www.pumawomen.com

Only a short flight away, Morocco seems a totally different world, a land of rugged mountains and vast deserts.

The Sahara Desert stretches from the snow capped mountains of Morocco in the West, to the Red Sea coast 4800km to the East.  Its landscape varies from a stony, flat expanse to perfect wind blown sand dunes that climb to 500m in height, broken only by the occasional oasis.  The feeling of space and solitude is awesome.

With proud Berbers as our guides, and a small caravan of camels to carry our supplies, we will trek 100km over six days through this varied and stunning landscape.  Camping under a silent night sky bursting with stars, trekking through the Sahara Desert with SPARKS is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

For further information about trekking the Sahara Desert with SPARKS in November 2004, e-mail [email protected] or call 020 7340 0685.