Published on : Friday, June 27, 2014
Shannon Airport’s inaugural night-time run, in association with Bank of Ireland, is very much proving the run-away success intended, with the airport today urging people intending taking part to book their spot quickly on the starting-line to avoid disappointment.
With the inaugural Bank of Ireland Runway Night Run, which will be held on Friday night, July 4th, just over one week away, bookings for the 1,200 person capacity event are way beyond what was anticipated with less than 300 places now available.
The 5km run along what is one of Europe’s longest runways is the first event of its kind in Ireland, with proceeds going to the Samaritans, a designated Shannon Airport charity. The event will be led out by Lions, Irish and Munster rugby legend Keith Wood.
Airport Commercial Director Andrew Murphy said that the uniqueness of the event has led to huge interest. “We expected almost half of the participants to book in the last ten days or so but we are already almost three-quarters subscribed so our message to people who want to participate is to book quickly to secure their place as we will definitely reach capacity.
“It is going to be a fantastic event. It’s the most unique 5km course in the country this year, or any year for that matter, and this is why the event is booking out a lot earlier than we anticipated. The capacity is 1,200 and we are only three hundred or so off that already. We expect by this time next week that all those places will be gone.
“We are really delighted with the response, not least given that the proceeds, which are boosted by Bank of Ireland’s generous support, are going to the Samaritans. They do magnificent work and deserve every support they can get so we are anticipating a really good return from the event for this worthy charity.
”The event is being held at 11 p.m. to fit the airport’s busy summer schedule. All participants will be chip-timed and can register online at www.sportstiming.ie through the ‘events’ tab. The entry fee is just €20 and pre-race registration starts at 9 p.m.
The run will commence at the terminal building from where runners will embark on a triangular course that takes them out onto one of the airport taxi-ways to the main runway. They will proceed down the runway for approximately 2,500 metres before turning back towards the finish line, which is again near the terminal building, along a second-taxi way.
The event is in keeping with Shannon Airport’s rich history of remarkable global firsts in aviation, starting out from its early years as it became the first transatlantic gateway between Europe and the US in the 1940s.
Other notable firsts achieved since by Shannon Airport include being the birthplace of duty free shopping, the world’s first Free Zone and the first airport outside of North America to secure full US preclearance, in 2009. It is also synonymous with the world-famous Irish Coffee, which was first created at the airport’s forerunner, the seaplane port nearby on the Shannon Estuary at Foynes.
Source:- Shannon Airport
Tags: airlines news, shannon airport
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