The 2020 Vhi Virtual Women’s Mini Marathon is underway and will take place over the next ten days.  It is a different event to the one that regularly saw 30,000 women take to the streets of Dublin in June, but these are different times.

More than 18,500 women have signed up online and will do 10KM their own way to raise funds for charities across Ireland.  They will each have got a t-shirt and a medal for their €10 cost of registration.  That sum alone, together with Vhi’s support has meant the company, owned by Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club has been able to keep going.

The event has taken place for 37 years and helped to raise tens of millions of Pounds and Euro for charity.

Check out our interview above with Brighid Smyth, Vhi’s Head of Corporate Communications.

Vhi and the Women’s Mini Marathon have commissioned a statue of a female runner representing all women participating in the event.

Cara

This statue, called ‘Cara’, meaning friend in Irish, is on display outside the Mansion House in Dublin city centre from October 1st to 10th.

Made from more than 200 pieces of sustainably sourced wood, ‘Cara’ is a symbol of all the women taking part in the Vhi Virtual Women’s Mini Marathon. While they can’t be together for this year’s event, she signifies the strength and power within all the women taking part.

“The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is one of the biggest events to take place every year in Dublin, as well as being one of the largest all-female participation events of its kind in the world,” said Dublin Lord Mayor Hazel Chu.

“The streets of Dublin are synonymous with this event, so we are delighted to house ‘Cara’ at the Mansion House for the duration of the event.”

“While we can’t be together for the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon this year, Cara is symbolic of every woman all over the country taking part over the next ten days. I hope all of the participants enjoy taking part, and that they know their fundraising is greatly appreciated by all of the causes that benefit from a special event like this”.

Special

“This is a special day for everyone involved with the Vhi Virtual Women’s Mini Marathon, from the organisers to the sponsors, to charities and participants all around the county,” said  David O’Leary, General Manager of the Women’s Mini Marathon.

“We are delighted to provide charities with an event that they can harness for their fundraising efforts. This virtual event enables our thousands of participants, who unfortunately had to miss out on the physical event in Dublin this year, to still be able to support the charitable causes close to their hearts, as well as meeting their personal fitness goals.”

“Huge thanks go to the Lord Mayor for allowing us to use the Mansion House as a home for ‘Cara’ for the next few weeks. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from women all over the country for our virtual event this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing all of the photos and videos of participants on their virtual start line over the coming days”.