Over 450 runners undertook an inaugural 5K run at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Wednesday 8th January 2025.
The event was expertly organised by the team at Twickenham Experience Limited (TEL) to raise vital funds for the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF), the official charity of England Rugby.
Event organiser and experienced runner Darren Belmont commented: “It was truly amazing to see so many runners from all walks of life, abilities and ages come together to support this event. The positive reaction of those who took part was overwhelming and the community atmosphere on the evening would rival any major sporting event at the stadium.”
IPF squad member and former England International Topsy Ojo got the race underway which saw participants run five kilometres around levels 1, 4 and 5 of the stadium before receiving their medals and enjoying a selfie on the hallowed turf.
After the event Topsy said: “We had a tonne of runners of all different abilities. Some ran it in peak time, while others took their time, but that was all part of the event. It was about coming together, raising funds for a brilliant cause, seeing the stadium in a different light and everyone finishing with smiles on their faces.”
Marissa Lowe who competed in the event added: “It was such a fun experience running round the home of rugby, seeing the Stadium in a different way. A great way to kick off the new year and blow off the cobwebs after Christmas!"
The IPF supports players who have sustained a life-changing injury such as those which result in the loss or use of a limb, catastrophic spinal cord injuries or acute, severe traumatic brain injuries while playing rugby union in England. While these types of injury remain extremely rare in the sport, the foundation provides wide-ranging support for players, their families and friends which can include immediate support in hospital ensuring access to the most appropriate medical care as well as emotional, practical and financial assistance, enabling families to focus on supporting their loved one.
The IPF is committed to being there for life, or for as long as the player needs. The whole support package is provided to ensure every player has choice, control and is empowered to live the life they wish to lead. A key focus for the IPF is on encouraging and supporting players back into work or education and as a charity they strive to reduce the barriers to employment for their members through the offering of vocational rehab, physical and mental support to address challenges to changing roles, costs of training programmes or adaptations to offices. The IPF is so proud that 76% of our members are employed or in voluntary roles or education – compared to a national average employment of 37% for those with spinal cord injuries.
In addition to supporting players, the IPF also delivers a cohesive research programme comprising a number of projects aimed at reducing the incidence or impact of catastrophic injury within rugby union. Working closely with academic partners, the charity looks to better understand how and why catastrophic spinal injuries happen, identifying the best way to manage and respond to such injuries, so they can ultimately be prevented in future. The charity is also funding a number of research projects at universities across the country to learn how the lives of people with spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries can be improved with investigations such as restoration of function, appetite management and the benefits of peer support.