Thousands hit the road for charity at RBC’s London Running Weekend

Day one of the RBC Running Weekend saw RBC Race for the Kids take place in London’s Hyde Park to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity). “The RBC Running Weekend is an annual highlight for us all, and this year was extra special as it returned in person for the first time since 2019,” says Desirée Clarke Noble, managing director and global head, Sustainability and Impact, RBC Capital Markets regional head, Citizenship, RBC Europe.

More than 4,600 participants took part. This included children who had been treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and their families, the general public, and over 1,400 RBC employees and their friends and families.

Since the event began in 2010, the 5km family fun run has raised nearly £9 million for GOSH Charity, helping to support seriously ill children from across the UK.

Fundraisers – including celebrity supporters Jason Isaacs, Michael Greco and Ben Willbond – took to the leafy paths of Hyde Park by foot, wheelchair, scooter or pushchair to complete the distance, with the route designed to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities. And there was of course plenty of room for furry friends, with an array of cheerful dogs in attendance.

“It was wonderful to see so many people at RBC Race for the Kids and raising funds to support our long-standing partner, GOSH Charity, whose work is vital in supporting seriously ill children treated at GOSH and their families,” adds Clarke Noble.

The 2022 run hosted by GOSH Charity and RBC was the thirteenth edition and is a key date in the global RBC Race for the Kids series. To date, RBC races have attracted more than 325,000 participants worldwide who have collectively raised over C$74 million.

Day two of the RBC Running Weekend saw over 16,000 runners take part in the fifteenth Royal Parks Half Marathon. “We’re proud to be the presenting partner of the Royal Parks Half Marathon, with its huge impact on hundreds of charities each year and its commitment to preserving London’s Royal Parks,” Clarke Noble says.

As presenting partner for the sixth year, RBC fielded a team of over 230 clients and employees, including the speedy Neil McClements, who finished ninth overall.

The stunning route took runners through four of London’s Royal Parks and past 11 famous landmarks, with perfect blue skies adding to the atmosphere.

And just in case the runners needed more motivation, there was lots of on-course entertainment, including four RBC cheer stations, two RBC DJ trucks, an RBC bunting tunnel, Batala drummers and a 20+ person RBC cheerleading squad close to the finishing line. There was also an RBC finisher photo stage for the all-important medal selfie.

Since the race began in 2008, nearly £60 million has been raised for over 1,200 UK charities. And to enhance the impact the event has on the community, RBC sponsored the Inspire series, shining a spotlight on five inspirational runners and their stories. This is in addition to the inaugural RBC Champion Award, which recognises the highest individual fundraiser by donating an additional £5,000 to their chosen charity.

The Royal Parks is also one of the greenest half marathons in the world, with a strong commitment to sustainability. This year’s initiatives included establishing a plastic-free event site, with no single use plastic distributed, a plant-based event village, the opportunity to plant a tree instead of taking home a race shirt, and a sustainable pouch bag giveaway on the finish line.

Thank you to all of our employees, clients, suppliers and members of the community for their continued support of these amazing events.