Thousands dash along Doncaster Sheffield Airport runway

Saturday 21st March: More than 2,500 people have today taken the unique opportunity to run the length of the runway at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in a race which will support a number of charities, including the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, Active Fusion and Club Doncaster Foundation.

The ‘Run the Runway’ event, organised by Libra Races with support from the team at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, saw runners of all ages take up the unique chance to take on distances of either 5.8km or 3.5km around the airfield this morning. 

The race routes enabled every runner, aged 7 and above, to complete either a full or half length of the runway, before doing a loop to the finish line next to the iconic Vulcan aircraft ‘The Spirit of Great Britain’ which is situated on site. 

Fundraising from participants, as well as some proceeds from the race entry fees, will go towards a number of good causes. This includes the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, a charity established to safeguard and inspire the future of the Vulcan XH558 aircraft. 

There has been a huge interest in the event, with the race initially selling out 1,000 places in just 48 hours. A subsequent waiting list then attracted interest from 2,000 more runners with the final race limit set at 2,600 places.

Simon Hinchley, Executive Director – Airport operations, said: “The community has really got behind what is likely to be the only chance to be part of something of this scale on the runway before we reopen the airport to passengers and freight. It’s far from every day that you get the chance to set foot on a runway of any type, let alone one of this length and quality.”

“It was fantastic to see so many runners taking part and having fun while raising funds for great causes. The Vulcan aircraft has an important place in the hearts of our local communities, and as an airport, we’re committed to providing a long-term home to the Vulcan, and supporting wherever we can. In the not-too-distant future those runners will be able to take off from this very airport and feel proud of the fact they ran the distance along the tarmac too! Well done to everybody who participated today and I would also like to add that it has been an absolute pleasure organising this event with Emma & Laura from Libra Races.”

Emma Norton and Laura Hemstock, Co-founders of Libra Races, said: “The reaction to this race has been incredible. As runners ourselves this felt like such an amazing opportunity and so we thought it would be popular, but it has been beyond our expectations. It brought together people of all ages and from all over the UK, not just regular runners but people wanting to be part of Run the Runway and part of celebrating the return of our airport.  We can’t thank the team at the airport enough for working in partnership with us and making Run the Runway a reality!”

Craig Shepherd, Chief Executive of Vulcan to the Sky Trust, added: “XH558 is such an important part of our local heritage, so it’s fantastic to see thousands of people here today — not only the runners, but also their friends, families and supporters — all coming together to celebrate and support the Vulcan. To cross the finish line beside such an iconic aircraft is a truly special experience. It creates an incredible atmosphere and a memorable day for everyone involved.”

Plans to re-open Doncaster Sheffield Airport are well underway, with the site ramping up activity as it seeks to bring freight and passenger flights back to the city. Recently, the airport announced that was on a recruitment drive, with more than 40 people now employed on site and 200 expected to be in place within the next 12 months. The project is currently undergoing airspace and aerodrome recertification as it moves towards opening.