Members of Moate Sanctuary runners group met with RTE's Ray D'Arcy at the Permanent TSB Sanctuary Run at the National Sports Campus in Dublin last month.

Moate and Athlone well represented at recent Permanent TSB Sanctuary Run

Deirdre Verney

Published: Mon 13 Nov 2023, 1:15 PM

In a recent letter to Sanctuary Runners, President Michael D Higgins expressed his “deep gratitude” for all the groups have done to create “a more inclusive and compassionate Ireland”.

Ahead of their Permanent TSB Sanctuary Run at the National Sports Campus in Dublin last month attended by 50 runners from Westmeath, the President said: Your celebration of diversity and interculturalism and your commitment to fostering unity, solidarity and respect highlight the power of shared experiences and the strength of our bonds. Your efforts inspire us all, reminding us that together we can achieve great things.

Sanctuary Runners is a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all Irish residents. It operates under the principles of solidarity, friendship and respect.

Some 43 nationalities were represented among the 900 people took part in the 5km run which saw Moate and Athlone Sanctuary Runners joining forces to travel together to the capital. There, they met up with Tullamore Sanctuary Runners, and each shared stories and built friendships which the groups have committed to keeping going by meeting up again the Midlands in the months ahead.

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Some of the members of the Athlone Sanctuary Runners group pictured at Permanent TSB Sanctuary Run at the National Sports Campus in Dublin last month.

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Athlone Sanctuary Runners pictured at the 5km run event in Dublin.

Members of the groups were delighted to meet RTE's Ray D'Arcy and Olympic winning boxer Kellie Harrington, just two of the celebrities supporting the run event, and who provided great motivation getting around the cross country track at the Sport Ireland campus in Dublin. The event was also attended by Olympians Eimear Lambe, Kenneth Egan and Emily Hegarty as well as GAA Dublin legend Michael Daragh MacAuley.

Now in its second year, the run and Sanctuary Runners groups nationwide, strive for “a more inclusive, integrated and equal society where the benefits of multiculturalism are clearly understood and valued and that community integration as a policy is properly understood, valued and championed”.

If anyone would like to join one of the groups in the Midlands area, Moate Sanctuary Runners meet every Sunday at 12.30 in Dun na Sí Amenity and Heritage Park as part of a local Community Walk and Talk initiative. Athlone Sanctuary Runners meet every Saturday at 9.30am at the Regional Sports Centre and Tullamore Sanctuary Runners run regularly at the Grand Canal Way parkrun, Tullamore.

There are Sanctuary Runners groups all across Ireland. Visit the website to find out more www.sanctuaryrunners.ie for more information. To get in touch with a Sanctuary Runners Group in your area, Email info@sanctuaryrunners.ie for details.