Runners put their best foot forward for charity

THE annual Bahrain Marathon Relay takes place on Friday morning and is widely recognised as one of the biggest charity sporting events in the country.

The event is organised by the Bahrain Round Table and helps raise money for a number of charitable organisations. The race attracts local, regional and international runners of all levels.

VIVA Bahrain has announced its sponsorship, for the second consecutive year, of the 33rd Bahrain Marathon Relay 2013.

As part of its sponsorship, VIVA has entered a corporate team comprised of 16 members of staff who will actively participate in the race.

Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, VIVA Bahrain CEO, said: “We are pleased to extend our support to the Bahrain Marathon Relay for the second consecutive year as part of our corporate social responsibility; at VIVA, we understand the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle and this event provides us with a great opportunity to foster team building amongst employees.”

This year’s event will see the participation of more than 150 teams including representatives from the private and public sectors, hotels, schools, fitness and social clubs, amongst many others.

For the first time in four years Bahrain Rugby Football Club has been able to enter a team and the hope is that it will set a benchmark for the years to come.

The Bahrain RFC team has a well-balanced look to it and includes football players, rugby players, swimmers, as well as a considerable contribution from the Arabian Celts Gaelic football teams.

Aside from having its own team involved, the club will also be supporting the ladies of ‘Team Chrissie’, who are running in memory of the former First Lady of Bahrain RFC, Chrissie Parker.

A long-time participant in the Bahrain Marathon Relay, Chrissie lost her lengthy battle with cancer earlier this year and so her daughters Sarah and Caroline have returned to Bahrain, along with their dad, Dave, a former Bahrain RFC first XV player, chairman and president, to celebrate her life.

The teams will line-up for the start of the annual spectacular at Bahrain International.

The race will be run through Sakhir, Riffa, Awali and the surrounding area.

It costs BD200 per team to enter and the race is limited to 180 teams. For details, call 39624425 or visit www.brt1.net and register your team at bmr_register@hotmail.com

* VIVA at Gitex, Dubai – BusinessWeekly
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