Massive Total Recorded On Simplyhealth Great Run Day

Following a hugely successful Simplyhealth Great North Run weekend, some impressive statistics have been recorded from the first ever Simplyhealth Great Run Day, held over the two days.

More than 1.5million miles of activity was clocked up by more than a quarter of a million people including many who signed up for the initiative, which encouraged people to be part of the UK’s most active weekend. That’s the equivalent distance to the moon and back three times over.

Data from Strava, the social network for athletes, indicates that 190,103 runs were recorded in the UK over the weekend, suggesting that the day of the Simplyhealth Great North Run is set to be the most active day of the year.

Simplyhealth and Great Run used the power of the Simplyhealth Great North Run to inspire people to be part of the UK’s most active weekend. The Simplyhealth Great Run Day was a celebration of movement and was about more than just running.

Its aim was to inspire people to get active in any way they wished, with activities such as walking, wheeling, climbing steps, hiking and yoga being logged on the Simplyhealth Great Run Day web hub.

In all, 564,964 of the miles were recorded by the record-breaking 43,127 finishers in the Simplyhealth Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon which was won by Mo Farah for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time.

The total also includes 572 miles which were clocked up by staff at the Barilla Pasta Party on the eve of the Simplyhealth Great North Run, as they served up a staggering 22,000 portions of pasta to energy-seeking runners.

Claire Lomas, who took five days to complete the Great North Run in 2016 despite being paralysed from the chest down, recorded a mile in her special ‘bionic’ suit as her personal contribution to the total.

Romana Abdin, CEO of Simplyhealth, said: “The Simplyhealth Great Run Day is a completely new initiative, and a major step to achieving our ambition to get millions moving.

“We want to inspire individuals, families and communities to be more active and firmly belief that movement is the cornerstone to good health. It doesn’t matter whether for you that means running a half marathon, or just taking that first step to getting active; every little counts.”

Simplyhealth and Great Run used the power of the Simplyhealth Great North Run to inspire people to be part of the UK’s most active weekend. The Simplyhealth Great Run Day was a celebration of movement – that included running, jogging, walking and every other kind of activity in between.

There are plans to expand on the initiative on the weekend of the 2018 Simplyhealth Great North Run, which will be held on 8-9 September.