More than 1,500 people joined forces for the Tower of London Run this week to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.
Runners have already raised an incredible £77,000, with organisers hoping the total will reach £97,000 once all donations have been counted.
Participants in the event on Wednesday May 17 ran a 10km circuit in the dry moat of the historic Tower to raise funds that the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said are “helping us better understand how to prevent, diagnose and treat heart and circulatory disease, which currently affects around seven million people in the UK.”
Hayley Reynolds, event organiser at the BHF said: “Without the dedication and commitment of our inspiring runners and walkers we wouldn’t be able to fund research that has broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.”
Runners fought through difficult weather conditions to participate in the event, which is now in its 39th year. It is estimated that 700,000 people are currently living with heart and circulatory disease in London alone.
The BHF was founded 51 years ago and is the single biggest funder of cardiovascular research in the UK.
“As someone who has heart disease in her family, I would like to say thank everyone who took part, everyone who supported our runners and all of our volunteers,” Reynolds said, expressing her thanks to those involved in supporting the charity.
“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fail to amaze me and it’s always incredible to see so many people take on such a tough challenge and unite in the fight against heart disease.
“It is only because of the support of people who take on challenges like the Tower of London Run that we can one day stop heart disease in its tracks,” she said.