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Sunshine and smiles at OX5RUN

18/04/2016
This article is more than seven years old.

It was a day of sunshine and smiles as over 1,000 runners pounded the grounds of Blenheim Palace raising funds for the Oxford Children's Hospital.

Teams of runners and walkers made up of parents of young patients, hospital staff and the wider local community tackled the five mile route of the Oxford Mail OX5RUN.

The event was started by 8 year old Lucas Cox from Didcot, who has had heart surgery and is a regular patient at the hospital. 

It is hoped the run will raise £100,000 to fund additional specialist equipment and extra facilities for the hospital, going beyond the standard NHS provision.

Catherine Stoddart, Chief Nurse for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who also took part in the run, said: "It's been a fantastic day, and so inspiring to see hundreds of people giving up their Sunday to show how much they care about our Children's Hospital.

"We are incredibly grateful to every person who has taken part, and to the Oxford Mail which organises the event every year, and also Allen Associates, our event sponsors. We'd also like to thank all the volunteers who help to make it such a special day."

The run was won by Sam Bird, who works as a physio in the Oxford Children's Hospital. Sam crossed the line in 30 minutes and 54 seconds. He was closely followed by OX5 regular and local fireman Gary Crone.

The first woman across line was Hannah Hale, who works for Siemens, who finished in 32 minutes and 17 seconds.

But the big heroes of the day were the families who came to support the event and raise money to make a difference for young patients in the region.