On Sunday 5th August, thousands of runners at the Brecon Carreg Barry Island 10K will attempt to do what some of the world’s top athletes have failed to do – beat legendary 400m Olympic & World Medallist Iwan Thomas.
For every participant that crosses the line before the former 4x400m relay World Champion, Healthspan, the UK’s number one direct supplier of vitamins & supplements, will donate £10 to Wales’ leading children’s charity, Tŷ Hafan. The European and Commonwealth gold medallist and Healthspan ambassador will start the inaugural 10K race before setting off along the promenade alongside up to 3,000 runners.
If participants needed anymore motivation to leave Thomas in their dust, they will also receive a bespoke #IbeatIwan t-shirt along some goodies from Healthspan’s range of high quality vitamins and supplements after completing the challenging but scenic 10km course.
Tŷ Hafan Support Care Manager James Davies-Hale said: “We’re delighted that Healthspan and Iwan are lending their support to the Brecon Carreg Barry Island 10K. Although we’d normally be cheering Iwan on, on this occasion, we hope he won’t be on his usual form and lots of runners will actually get to beat him! That way, we can raise even more money to help us provide support, comfort and care to children with life limiting conditions and their families”.
Thomas has also been passing on his expert knowledge to runners taking part in the innovative Healthspan 10 initiative, which was launched to emphasise the principles of staying active, eating well and being positive to those who want to achieve a greater sense of overall well-being.
The Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run, ABP Newport Wales 10K and Brecon Carreg Barry Island 10K are all part of the Healthspan 10 initiative. Three lucky groups of social media recruits have now joined Team Healthspan and will take on the Brecon Carreg Barry Island 10K together. The group of 30 runners have been helped every step of the way by a range of Healthspan products as well as the expertise of Healthspan ambassador Thomas, who will join them on the start line.
The group recently met for a training session with Iwan at Cardiff Castle, where he met a number of runners with inspirational stories. One of those was Kimberley Lewis, who is raising money for mental health charity Mind following the loss of her brother.
“I started running in the new year after signing up for the Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon slightly drunk on New Year’s Eve. I’m running for Mind after my brother took his own life last year. I gained three stone of what I call ‘sad chub’, so I’m just trying to turn it into something positive,” she said.
“It’s great to be part of the Healthspan 10 and hear other people’s inspirational stories, I’m feeling really positive about the Barry Island 10K and I’m really excited to run it with Iwan. I’d tell anyone suffering from mental health problems, whether it be grief or otherwise, getting out and exercising can make a huge difference.”
You can learn more about the Healthspan 10 Initiative, hear some of Iwan’s top training tips and learn more about some of the great Healthspan products on offer that can support you through your fitness journey at www.barryisland10K.co.uk/healthspan10.
It’s not too late to get involved in the inaugural Brecon Carreg Barry Island 10K! Entries have closed, but if you fancy your chances at beating Iwan, you can still sign up to run as part of Team Tŷ Hafan. You can enter for just £4.99 when pledging to raise £100 to help provide support, comfort and care to children with life limiting conditions and their families.