A national sporting event for children is returning to the Island.

INEOS GO Run for Fun takes place at the National Sports Centre on Monday 23rd May.

Primary school pupils will run or walk 2kms of the track. A celebrity athlete, to be announced nearer the time, will start them off and mascot Dart will be present to be part of the fun.

GO Run for Fun is the idea of Jim Ratcliffe, owner of INEOS, one of the UK’s largest manufacturing companies, who donated ?1.5 million to establish a charitable foundation to encourage children into running.

The event is backed by sporting heroes including former 60m hurdles world champion and world record holder Colin Jackson.

Since its launch in 2013, more than 100,000 children throughout the British Isles and in Europe and the USA have participated.

Kirsty Cooper, Sports Development Officer with Manx Sport and Recreation (MSR), part of the Department of Education and Children, said: ‘Our Strategy for Sport highlights the importance of getting children involved in sport at an early age for their physical well-being, confidence and development.

‘The ethos of this event is having fun while walking or running and that’s very much one we share at MSR, where we encourage children to exercise for enjoyment, hopefully leading to a lifelong love of sport.

‘It’s the third year we have been chosen to host GO Run for Fun. Last year 1,394 pupils from 15 primary schools took part and we were joined by Olympic and European Championship 800 metre runner Jenny Meadows. Everyone had a great day and we are looking forward to this year’s event.’

Information is being circulated to schools this week and entries close on Friday 6th May.

For more information on GO Run for Fun, contact Kirsty on 688559, email kirsty.cooper@gov.im, visit the website www.gorunforfun.com or the GO Run for Fun Facebook page or follow the event on Twitter @_GRFF

Photo - Athlete Jenny Meadows with participants in GO Run for Fun at the NSC in 2015.