Runners Sought By Letting Company

CHESTER, U.K. - April 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Local letting agent The Big Let Company is looking for runners to join its team when it takes on the Chester Half Marathon in May. The company is hoping to have around 50-athletes running with it at the prestigious event to beat the 20-runners wearing its colours last year.

The lettings specialist, which is headquartered off Sealand Road in Chester, is raising funds for two worthy causes – the charity MIND and local fitness instructor Claire Richards to help her pay for pioneering cancer treatment – and hopes to double the £3,000 it collected last year.

Keen runner Claire was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last November despite never having smoked and leading a healthy lifestyle. This form of cancer normally affects people aged between 60 -80 and is known as a lifestyle cancer.  Claire, 40 - a personal trainer based at Total Fitness in Chester - is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is taking part in clinical trials for a new cancer drug in London. The Big Let team has decided to use the half marathon to help her with her travel costs, which will total around £4,000 over the course of a year.

Bernadette Pedder, director of The Big Let Company, said “We’re passionate about running and raising money, so the Chester Half Marathon lets us combine our two passions perfectly. It was a brilliant event last year and we had a great team running with us. This year, we’re hoping to go even better and more than double both the amount of runners on our team and the amount of sponsorship raised. MIND is very important to me as it really helped me deal with depression and anxiety a few years ago, and we also want to help Claire because she has a very rare form of cancer and is having to make regular journeys to London for treatment.”

Runners who join The Big Let Company do not have to fund-raise for its chosen charities if they have a preferred one of their own, or even run for charity at all.  Everyone on The Big Let team will receive a branded shirt to run in, and is invited to post-race celebrations at the Abode hotel. They will also be able to use one of the hotel’s rooms to shower, change and store their things in, as well as being given a complimentary sports massage, medal and goodie bag after the race.

The Chester Half Marathon takes place on the 18^th May and will start at the Racecourse. Expected to attract around 7,500 serious athletes and fun runners, the event is one of the most anticipated in the running calendar, and usually sells out well in advance. For the third year running, the race will finish outside the Town Hall.

Mike Barley, co-director at The Big Let Company, said “It would be great if we could get lots of runners taking part for The Big Let Company team. We’ve organised regular training runs to take place on Sundays and a few nights during the week from Total Fitness on Liverpool Road, where we can all get to know each other as well as get in the practice miles. Everyone who joins us can bring their family and friends to the Abode after they’ve finished and it promises to be a wonderful day for everyone. We’re also setting up a marquee at the start and finish lines where The Big Let runners can meet up, and we want runners of all abilities to join us”

The Big Let Company is also sponsoring the half marathon’s pace runners for the first time.

To register with The Big Let Company to take part in the Chester Half Marathon, please email running@thebigletcompany.co.uk

Information on the event can be found at www.activeleisureevents.co.uk