There’s something so empowering about the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon. Thousands of women gather together to run, jog, walk or crawl for 10 km to help deserving charities.

The event becomes more and more popular as the years go by, with women showing up with their mums, sisters, daughters, aunties and friends and rocking their finest runners and their charity t-shirts with great pride.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is hoping more women will join their team this year to help raise much-needed funds for the charity.

Famous faces including RTÉ’s Evanne Ní Chuilinn, actor Denise McCormack, beauty blogger Karen Constantine and rugby ace Louise Galvin have joined Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s “One in 1,000” rallying call for this year’s VHI Women’s Mini-Marathon.

The girls are hoping to gather up 100 teams of 10 people to make up a total of 1,000 women taking part in the mini-marathon on Sunday, June 3 on behalf of the charity.

This year’s event will take place on a Sunday rather than Bank Holiday Monday. Organisers are confident that the event will attract even more support than ever.

Supporters are being urged to do whatever is necessary to cajole, sweet-talk and charm the socks off friends and family to create their own teams in reaching the magic 1,000 target!

You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to take part in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon. The mini-marathon takes place over a ten-kilometre course and is open to women of all levels of fitness, with participants having the options of running, jogging or simply walking the route.

The minimum age to enter as a walker, jogger or fast jogger is 14 years of age, while for a runner or elite runner, it is 18 years.

RTÉ’s Evanne Ní Chuilinn said, “Of course, you don’t have to be Sonia O’Sullivan to take part – women of all fitness levels and none are welcomed with open arms. It really is the taking part that counts on mini-marathon day and the atmosphere is just electric.”
The VHI Women’s Mini Marathon is the largest all-women event of its kind in the world and represents Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s biggest annual fundraising campaign.

Almost all funding for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s services comes from public donations. It's One in 1,000 campaign has a fundraising target of €100,000 for vital services for people with cystic fibrosis including patient grants for supports such as counselling, home exercise equipment, fertility treatment and transplant assessment.

Signing up for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s One in 1,000 campaign is easy – simply call Rachel on LoCall 1890 311 211, email fundraising@cfireland.ie or visit onein1000.ie.

Entries for the VHI Women's Mini Marathon will open 7th March 2018 at 11 am.