DJ SCOTT MILLS TO RUN EDEN PROJECT HALF MARATHON
BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills will be running the Eden Project half-marathon on Sunday October 9. Scott, who is tackling the 13-mile race with his friend and colleague Jemma James, is running to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society UK.
Cornish Olympian Jemma Simpson will also be at Eden on race day and will be firing the starting pistol for both the full and half-marathons. Returning for the 2011 race is Pete Roper from Shaftesbury, Dorset, winner of the inaugural Eden marathon in 2009 and still the holder of the course record at two hours 46 minutes 11 seconds.
The Eden marathon and half-marathon are returning for their third year – set to be the biggest yet. The event is one of many happening at Eden to mark the project’s tenth birthday. As in previous years, the races will be run in partnership with St Austell Running Club.
Both races take place simultaneously and begin and end in the shadow of Eden’s Biomes. The route runs through the changing landscape of the clay country, an area of mid-Cornwall where the landscape is dominated by the china clay industry. It takes in clay pits and tips, beautiful woodland and even parts where both coasts can be seen on a clear day.
Runners have until October 2 to sign up for both the full and half-marathons. The one-mile fun run, which takes place on the preceding Saturday (October 8), is open to entries until Friday October 7. Entry for all races can be done through the Eden Project website at www.edenproject.com/marathon
Places cost £30 for the marathon and £23 for the half-marathon with a £2 discount for affiliated runners. Fun run places are £2 each.
Participants can sign up to run for any charity they choose but one option is to race for Eden, raising money in support of its rainforest projects. Rainforests clean the air, make rain, and regulate climate. To join Eden’s team and “run for the rainforest”, please email fundraising@edenproject.com or download the fundraising pack from www.edenproject.com/support-us/run-for-the-rainforest
Scott Mills, 38, was born in Eastleigh, Hampshire and is the current host of BBC Radio 1’s weekday drivetime show. He was nominated in the Music Radio Personality of the Year category at this year’s Sony Radio Academy Awards and has also hosted a number of TV shows.
Jemma Simpson, 27, is a Cornish athlete who competes in both 800m and 1500m races. She ran for Team GB for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Osaka.
