Kirsty Henderson, Events Officer reflects on an amazing weekend at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival

As the Events Officer at Circle, I have the privilege of witnessing first hand the incredible commitment and enthusiasm our supporters bring to events like the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. This year, we had an amazing group of 14 runners who dedicated their time and energy to run across various events during the weekend, all in support of Circle.

I went along to support our runners on Sunday, 26th May, and even managed to catch up with some of them before they conquered their runs. It was lovely to see so many supporters out in the rain, cheering on everyone. Running is one thing, but running in continuous rain makes everyone’s achievements even more impressive!

As we say in Scotland, it was a dreich day but it didn’t stop our runners from smiling!!

A couple of our runners reflected on their EMF experience:

“I think overall the EMF has given me a new target. I am aiming to run the 10K next year as I slowly progress my running ability.”

“Running the marathon impacted my wellbeing hugely, not just physically but mentally too. I learned that I could really commit to something and that I can do things I didn’t think were possible when I really put my mind to it.”

Events like the Edinburgh Marathon Festival allow charities to increase their awareness and raise crucial funds. Over £6 million was raised for charities over the weekend, and we are so grateful to have been one of those charities involved.

Some of the runners shared why they chose to support Circle:

“Circle was a charity that I came across in my first year of university. We had the chance to engage with some of the communities they served through GPs, community link workers, and third-sector organisations like Circle. This was a great experience for me as I learned a lot about these communities, which sparked a new interest in a career as a GP. I would have the opportunity to work alongside these marvellous organisations to help those in greatest need.”

“I fundraised for Circle because working for them has shown me the vital work the charity does and the huge impact it can have on people’s lives. With funding being so tight these days and local services being lost regularly, it’s important we do what we can to keep charities like this going!”

We are delighted to have exceeded our fundraising target!

A HUGE thank you to each runner and their supporters for helping us raise £5,357!! Going above and beyond our original target of £4,000.

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a big difference to Circle families!