Getting warmed up and ready for The Great Pink Run in Kilkenny

The Great Pink Run will take place in the Castle Park next month and the event was officially launched during The Warm Up in Set Theatre last week.
Preparations for this year’s Great Pink Run with Glanbia went up a gear as the great and the good jogged in to hear the latest on things fitness, nutrition, health, exercise and wellness ahead of the event in the Castle on October 20.
Aut Even Hospital Kilkenny, associate sponsors of the run, hosted the event with a panel of experts including dietitian and TV personality Aoife Hearne; Physiotherapy Manager of Aut Even Hospital Jane Campbell; personal trainer Anthony Doyle and Corporate Communications Manager of Glanbia PLC and breast cancer advocate Naoise Coogan.
Those in attendance were treated to delicious canapés and refreshments on arrival, followed by a great discussion, with Newstalk Breakfast’s Kieran Cuddihy taking on MC duties and despite his early start he quizzed each of the panellists on their area of expertise and latest thinking on running, exercise and diet. There were lots of questions from the floor and CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland Aisling Hurley updated on latest research into breast cancer and where the monies raised is being spent.
Margaret Swords CEO Aut Even Hospital commented: “Aut Even are delighted the Warm Up event in the run up to the Great Pink Run. This is our third year sponsoring this truly worthy event, to raise money for research into breast cancer. It has become something much more for our employees. It is a great social day out with colleagues, friends and families, competing and showing great imagination in how they wear pink on the day and with the incredible Castle Gardens our backdrop.”
It is expected that over 10,000 men, women and children will take part in the annual Great Pink Run with Glanbia across three locations, with the aim of raising funds to support Breast Cancer Ireland’s pioneering research and awareness programmes.
Now in its ninth year, the series will kick off on Saturday October 5 in Chicago’s Diversey Harbour, then the pink movement will land back in Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Saturday, October 19 and then will move, the next day, Sunday (October 20) to the Castle Park in Kilkenny.
Between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable according to the World Health Organisation which claims that regular physical activity and the maintenance of a healthy body weight, along with a healthy diet, can considerably reduce cancer risk.
Dietitian and TV personality Aoife Hearne and broadcaster Kieran Cuddihy will lead out the Kilkenny run. They will be joined by hundreds of women and their families who have been impacted by the disease.
There will be a 10k challenge as well as a 5K fun run with live DJ, motivational music and face-painting and participants will be encouraged to “pink it up” in support of those impacted by breast cancer.
Over 35,000 women, men and children have crossed the finish line in Ireland since the event began in 2011.
Last year alone, over 8,200 participants took part and raised in excess of €500,000 to support breast cancer research programmes.
Registrations are now open at www.greatpinkrun.ie