Sanctuary Runners seeking people for marathon effort

The Galway Sanctuary Runners are looking for walkers, joggers, and runners to help them achieve the goal of 1,000 Sanctuary Runners taking on the Virtual Cork City Marathon this June. As well as full and half-marathon distances, there is also the option of running a relay leg.

The Sanctuary Runners is a non-profit organisation that was founded in 2018 and has 3,000 members across Ireland in 25 different locations, including Galway.

The group seeks to promote solidarity, respect, and friendship between people seeking international protection who are living in Direct Provision and wider Irish society by providing the opportunity to walk or run together on an equal footing.

The Galway branch of the Sanctuary Runners has more than 50 active members, and in a bid to keep spirits up during the more severe lockdowns, the group met online for virtual ‘Sanctuary Strength’ exercise classes, led by Irish Olympic rower Claire Lambe.

“Sanctuary Runners are part of family,” says Biola Omisakin, who initially joined the Sanctuary Runners in Dublin and is now a member of the Galway group.

“I always look forward to Saturday morning, to be together, run together, chat, and meet new people. During lockdown we moved online and started training with Claire. This really helped me mentally, emotionally and physically: I became fit from lockdown! I’d like to say thanks a million to Claire for keeping us going.”

In an impact study carried out by the Sanctuary Runners last year, 42% of their members not living in Direct Provision said the experience was the first in their lives where they’d got to know someone seeking asylum.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.