Join Twyford Together Charity run

Karen Neville

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Photo: Barnes Fitness’ sports photographer, Chris Drew.

The Twyford Together Charity 5k and Fun Run is one of the village’s best-loved, annual events. It’s a chance to get active for a good cause, run with family and neighbours and perhaps be crowned ‘Fastest Street’… the ultimate accolade!

Put your trainers on this Sunday (10th) at The Piggott School and get running in one of four races, split according to school year groups (pre-school toddle (100m), reception and years 1 & 2 (1km), years 3 & 4 (1km), years 5 & 6 (2km) as well as a chip-timed, multi-terrain, 5K for those aged 11+ (see course map below).

You still have a few days to enter as online entry closes at midday on Saturday, 9th October. Register in advance by filling out the form on Barnes Fitness’ website. Early-bird entry helps us to avoid congestion at registration and to start each race on time. On the day entry is subject to race limits and costs an additional £2.50 for the 5K and £2 for all other races (cash only).

In 2019, the fastest street competition was introduced to the Twyford Together Charity 5K and Fun Run. Chip timing allows organisers to collect race times for individual streets in the 5K race. The street with the fastest cumulative time for three runners wins! So, get training with your neighbours if you want to beat the 2019 winners, Springfield Park! New for 2021 is the option of receiving a medal or ‘dedicating a tree‘. On the entry form, we’ll ask you if you want to plant a tree or receive a medal. After the fun run, you’ll be sent a certificate with a photo, the species and GPS location of your tree. You can even go and visit your tree if you want to! Prizes will go to fastest male and female in the 5K win one month membership to Castle Royle, the next 10 runners over the line earn seven day membership, the ‘Fastest Street’ in the 5K receives a voucher for a Wine Tour & Tasting at Stanlake Park (for three), top three fastest streets get vouchers towards a celebratory meal at either La Fontana, Buratta’s or Haweli (winner gets first pick!) and fastest boy and girl aged 11-15 and 16-18 in the 5K take home Up and Running, Reading vouchers. Plus, there are Decathlon vouchers for the fastest boy and girl in the school year group races as well as ‘Have a Go Heroes‘ (in the 5K, 2K, 1K and toddler dash). It’s the taking part that counts!

In addition to the spectacle of the race, you can enjoy Tash who will be there with Martha the Van aka The Refill Hub so bring some containers to stock up at this wonderful mobile refill shop, My Journey Wokingham will have their awesome smoothie making bike, Polehampton PTA is running a second-hand book shop and Camp Mohawk is bringing a pop-up toy stall. They’ll also be face painting, pumpkin racing and Halloween craft as well as a selection of homemade cakes from Happy Hours and refreshments from The Rural Pie Co. Plus, you can try out your footie skills with Twyford Comets and get in shape with Castle Royle. There is limited parking on site. For those who cycle, there are free bike checks with My Journey Wokingham’s Dr. Bike. And while you’re having all this fun, know you are helping Twyford Charities Together. The group was formed in 2011 to give local charities, often lacking their own fundraising team, a helping hand.

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Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush

Round & About

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Burst though bubbles and help raise funds for Helen & Douglas House

Frothy, foamy, fabulous fun is on offer all in aid of a good cause next month where you can join hundreds of others fit to burst and fundraising.

Run, jump and dive through thousands of coloured bubbles at the Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush on Sunday, 2nd June at Cutteslowe Park, Oxford and in Prospect Park, Reading on Sunday, 9th June, in a 5k challenge with a difference.

Anyone of any age is welcome to join in the fun and running isn’t compulsory, you can walk or even toddle your way through the family-friendly fun.

Burst through four colour stations with cannon pumping bubbles up to four feet high and get engulfed in light, foamy fun while wearing a Bubble T-shirt which you’ll get on the day. Once you’ve completed the run, special Bubble Rush medals will be handed out.

The route is 2.5k which you can choose to tackle once or twice but remember if you choose to do two loops it’s double the fun – you’ll get covered in colour eight times!

Funds raised at Helen & Douglas House Bubble Rush will help towards the £3million it costs annually to run the hospice and make a real difference to local terminally ill children and their families.

Helen & Douglas House helps families to cope with the challenges of looking after a baby or child who will die prematurely and allows them to spend time together creating memories.

Places for the Bubble Rush are limited so book as soon as you can, entry is available at various prices for families, individual adults and children and the run takes place in two waves at 10am and 11am.

To register to take part visit eventbrite and visit Helen & Douglas House for more information about and how you can help through their other fundraising events.

Photo credit: Helen Stuwart

Treehouse run

Round & About

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On your marks, get set for the sixth Treehouse 10k in Cholsey on Sunday – there’s a run for everyone and how about making it a real family affair as it’s Mother’s Day? 

In addition to the 10k, there’s a 5k run and the Family Bunny Run. Both the 10k and 5k cover a course that includes a mix of quiet roads, farm tracks and footpaths around the village. 

All finishers will receive an event T-shirt and hand-made wooden medal with trophies given to each category winner. 

The Family Bunny Run is open to families/children under 16 and is just half a kilometre around the recreation ground – participants can decide how many loops they want to compete. As it’s so near to Easter why not add bunny ears or a tail to your outfit? 

Last year runners were challenged to run with a Stormtrooper, this year you’ll be turning to the “dark side” and taking on Darth Vader. 

And as it’s Mother’s Day, Round & About columnist Christine Wallace from the Great British Bake Off will be starting the 5k and 10k races before holding a cake decorating demonstration in the pavilion and answering your baking questions. Her cake will then be raffled off for a mum to enjoy. 

Online registration at a reduced rate ends at midday tomorrow (Wednesday, 27th March) but you can register on the day between 8am and 9am. 

To register and for more information for the run go to www.treehouse10k.org.uk