The Twilight Runway Challenge was held at TAG Farnborough Airport, raising funds for Community Matters Partnership Project (CMPP). Supporting projects to encourage youth aspiration in Farnborough and NE Hampshire.
They came in their hundreds. On foot, bicycle (including at least one tandem), roller skates and skateboard. Attracted by the opportunity to do something that you don’t really think is allowable. To run around the apron and down the runway of a major airport. Thanks to TAG Farnborough Airport and its partnership with CMPP the unthinkable became possible. After the last plane of the day had touched down shortly after 7:45pm, and we’d got our race registration done, we were led up the fire appliances shed for a warm up/work out ahead of the ‘big off’ at 8:30pm.
To the sound of fire engine sirens, hundreds ran in the direction of the North Apron as they embarked on either their 3k, 5k or 10k challenge. Following the airfield lights, passed private jets aplenty and onto the taxi-way that led out to Runway 06. Upon reaching the start of the runway and looking down the 2.4k length of tarmac, it in encouraging to see that it’s every so slightly down hill! Turning off the runway at the bottom, one is faced with the decision to head or home after 5k, or to go around again and chalk up 10k! The decision was quite easy. The opportunity to run where only 60 minutes earlier planes had been taking off and landing might not come around again, and so it seemed fitting to, well, go around again.
Sincere thanks to all of the team at TAG Farnborough Airport for planning and looking after us so well. To the team at CMPP (Anthea and Tracy) also Hazel for looking after our kit ‘n’ stuff. We expect to have raised c£20,000 for projects providing aspiration opportunities for young people in Farnborough.
Not bad for a night’s work. To watch the ITV news coverage about the challenge click here. For more about corporate volunteering visit the CMPP website.
