Caitlin MacMillan tells about her experience of running for refugees – and why you should join the campaign
Blog by Caitlin MacMillan, Funding Development Volunteer
Scottish Refugee Council’s #RunforRefugees campaign is well under way. Our target is to run the symbolic number of kilometres between Glasgow and Croydon, the distance those fleeing persecution and seeking safety in Scotland must travel to in order to make their asylum claim, without access to funds or support.
Our sponsored runners have now completed 480km of our 665km running target. At the beginning of the year, I signed up to the #RunforRefugees, taking part in the 10km run at the Edinburgh Marathon festival to raise sponsorship funds. Although I’ve never been the sporty type, I had always fancied taking part in a longer sponsored race. #RunforRefugees seemed like the perfect opportunity to get fit, raise funds for the Refugee Assistance appeal and raise awareness of the long and difficult journey to Croydon.
An uphill struggle
Beginning training on cold January mornings, it was sometimes tough to find the motivation to build up the fitness I needed to complete the race. I started attending local Park Runs joined by other runners for the campaign. Running as part of a small team helped to keep me motivated. We also received helpful running tips and inspiration from Scottish Refugee Council supporter and ultra-marathon runner Katy. As I continued training, #RunforRefugees provided an opportunity to discuss the challenging circumstances facing those seeking safety in this country and to encourage friends and family to donate to Scottish Refugee Council. Registering with JustGiving and sharing running updates on Facebook and Twitter were also a great way to raise awareness and provide a quick and easy way for people to donate.
The Edinburgh run itself was an exciting event to be a part of, with thousands of enthusiastic runners taking part. The route was a bit of an uphill struggle at times but the views from Arthur’s Seat over much of Edinburgh were well worth it. The feeling of crossing the finish line is hard to match but knowing that the money I have raised from sponsorship is going towards the work of the vital Refugee Assistance Appeal only added to a brilliant overall experience running 10k in Edinburgh!
Want to join?
We are still looking for runners and supporters to take part in the campaign to help us reach our target. With just a few weeks until the Commonwealth Games begin in Glasgow, there has never been a better time to get active and be inspired by some of the world’s top athletes.
There are still several races coming up this summer and autumn in Scotland:
5k One Big Weekend (3 August),
5k Colour Me Rad run (23 August),
Scottish Half Marathon (6 September),
5k Big Fun Run (11&12 October).
You can run as far as you want and contribute your kilometres to our campaign! We are now more than halfway towards reaching our target and you can play your part in helping us to achieve our goal, supporting refugees to have a better start in Scotland.
For more info contact: mailto:funding.events@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
If you would like to support our campaign, you can also donate by texting RFGE22 followed by the amount to 70070.
