Star athlete leads UCLan's first Color Fun Run

Olympic and Commonwealth athlete Helen Clitheroe led more than 300 people in a fun run that turned Preston into a rainbow of colours.

The first ever UCLan Color Fun saw participants young and old run 5km at UCLan Sports Arena while being showered with brightly coloured powder along the route.

The idea behind the inaugural event was to inspire people of all abilities to get active in a fun and relaxed way.

Helen, who is also a UCLan Honorary Fellow, commented: "I've really enjoyed starting the Color Fun run at UCLan Sports Arena. It's a great cause and great to get people running and having fun at the same time."

The Arena teamed up with cancer charity Marie Curie for the event, with runners raising more than £1,000. Sarah Fletcher, Marie Curie Community Fundraiser for Lancashire, said: "We'd like to say a huge thank you to everybody at UCLan who organised this event to raise money for Marie Curie.

"It was an absolute pleasure to come along and meet many of the organisers and runners on the day - we had such a brilliant time, even though we did return home yellow.

"All the money raised from the Color Fun run will help Marie Curie provide expert care, guidance and support to help people with a terminal illness, and their families, get the most from the time they have left.

"Locally, Marie Curie Nurses work night and day, in people’s homes across Lancashire, providing hands-on care and vital emotional support. Seven out of 10 carers say that people with a terminal illness do not get all the care and support they need.

"As the UK's leading charity for people living with any terminal illness, Marie Curie doesn't think that is good enough and that is why your support is so important to us. Thank you."

It's the first time Preston has ever held a race like this and organisers from UCLan Sports Arena say they're already looking forward to running it again.

Organiser and Sports Motivator Sam Cadwallader said: "The event was a great success and we're delighted that Helen Clitheroe has lent her support to our first ever UCLan Color Fun run. Hopefully this has motivated a lot of local people to stay fit and active."

To view images from the event please click here.

UCLanSport supports This Girl Can

UCLanSport introduced a range of additional activities to our sports facilities this week in support of the #ThisGirlCan and #ThisBUCSGirlCan social media campaigns.

The week has been a great success, with Sir Tom Finnney Sports Centre staging netball tournaments, women's only gym sessions and badminton tournaments which attracted participants in their hundreds.

Our social media channels became a hive of activity during the week with photos and comments on both the additional and regular activities including Zumba, Legs Bums and Tums classes, and Bootcamps.

The release of our This Girl Can video (above) has resulted in a dramatic increase in student engagement and promoted female participation in UCLan's sports activities.

The week's events created a massive buzz amongst UCLan staff and students - we are proud to be involved and champion female participation in sport and physical activity.