Luton Airport hosts annual Runway Race - raising £4,000 for charity

The runners raced the length of the airport’s runway and back again
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Two hundred early risers have raised £4,000 for charity after completing London Luton Airport’s (LLA) annual Runway Race.

The event provides a unique opportunity for runners of all abilities to race the length of the airport’s 1.3-mile runway (2.2km) and back again. The race takes place between 4.30am and 5.30am, whilst the runway is closed to flights.

This year’s race, the first since before the pandemic started in 2020, was organised to support LLA’s two charity partners, Luton Foodbank and East Anglian Air Ambulance. The line-up included airport employees and members of the public from across Bedfordshire and surrounding counties as well as one runner dressed as a unicorn!

A run on the runway on the early morningA run on the runway on the early morning
A run on the runway on the early morning

LLA Operations Director Neil Thompson, who took part in the race, said: “The runway run is an event that is now firmly established as a milestone in the LLA calendar. There is always so much excitement and enjoyment around this event and we were delighted to welcome so many runners who arrived at dawn to have some fun and raise much-needed funds for these two amazing charities.”

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Sarah Cunningham, Community Fundraiser for East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: “Our charity partnership with LLA is helping to raise awareness of our work and is providing vital fundraising support that will enable our airborne doctors and critical care paramedics to continue saving lives. As a charity, we rely almost entirely on public support and the runway run is a fun and creative approach to raising much-needed funds for our life-saving operation in Luton and the surrounding areas.”

Salma Khan, Manager of Luton Foodbank, commented: “A huge well done to London Luton Airport and all the runners who met at the crack of dawn to raise awareness and funds for our charity. We are working hard to eradicate food poverty in Luton and the support provided by LLA and the local community plays an essential role in supporting our efforts.”

One person dressed up for the occasionOne person dressed up for the occasion
One person dressed up for the occasion

To find out more about Luton Foodbank and how you can help the charity with its vital work to feed those who are struggling, you can go to http://lutonfoodbank.org.uk

To find out more about the work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, go to http://www.eaaa.org.uk