London Marathon supports GoodGym to get runners helping their communities during 2016

As the year of the 35th race draws to a close, the London Marathon have announced that the organisation will fund the expansion of running community GoodGym to three new locations in London to make it easier than ever to combine getting fit and doing good.  

GoodGym were shortlisted for the Sport for Social Inclusion Award and the organisation's partner, New Balance, won our prestigious Corporate of the Year award in the 2015 Beyond Sport Awards. 

The grant of £50,000 from London Marathon Events Ltd will enable GoodGym to expand operations across London and support up to 5,000 runners to do good with their training over the next year. GoodGym runners run to provide support to isolated older people or to do manual labour for a wide range of community projects.

The funding enables GoodGym to launch new locations in Southwark, Lambeth and Greenwich. Sessions are open to all and GoodGym will organise special group runs for new runners throughout the month of January. All runs are free for participants and no registration is required.

Ivo Gormley, founder of GoodGym said: “This is going to be huge. The London Marathon is an extraordinary, mammoth event and it’s brilliant that we have the support of the organisers to take GoodGym to the next level.    

“GoodGym is a really easy way to integrate doing something for your community into your exercise.  If you’re already running then it might only take 15 minutes to change your route slightly and drop in to visit an isolated older person. 

“Everyone wants to do a bit more exercise and everyone wants to get involved in the communities they live in. GoodGym means you can do both at the same time. If you’ve never really considered running before, or lack motivation, then the community that GoodGym provides and the different reason to run can be a really easy route in.”

Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events, said: “We are very proud that our events have enabled participants to raise incredible amounts of money for a huge range of charities over the years but GoodGym is something different and probably the most innovative running club in the world. It’s a different reason to lace up your shoes and one that benefits others as much as yourself.”

Visit www.goodgym.org to find out more.