Half Marathon Charity Race to Take Place in Luang Prabang in October

A half marathon, be held on 5 October 2013, will take place in the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, Laos.

The Luang Prabang Half Marathon: La Procession, is a charity race that the organisers and sponsors hope will enrich the lives of the more marginalised residents of the surrounding areas as much as it will the runners who race around this beautiful town.

The race has been named after the procession of monks that walk through town every morning, collecting offerings from residents.

"Every day in Luang Prabang begins with giving to others," said founding race organiser and HSBC Equities Director, Michael Gilmore. "So it's only appropriate that the focus of our race should be on giving too. All of the race costs are covered by corporate sponsors so that 100% of the participants’ entry fees go directly to the charity. Raising funds for a local cause is very much the key priority of this run, not an after-thought."

This new structure will see the usual race-fees be replaced by donations made direct and through online fundraising pages in an effort to ensure more of the money goes where it is needed.

“We believe it is a way we can capture the natural tendency of runners who want to help other people. In many of the destination races after the costs of race fees, flights and hotels, less than 1% of an average runner's spend goes to the charities. By re-structuring the registration and funding process, we hope to change that,” Michael added.

Making the race even more of a hot ticket item is the fact that it is limited to only 500 international runners so as not to overload the town’s infrastructure and to be respectful of the local community.

The race-route will pass many of Luang Prabang’s historical sites, and also echo the monks' daily procession. While it is promoted as a half-marathon, there will also be 14km and 7km races to ensure all family members are able to participate.

"We want to raise money for charity, but we also want to make sure that everyone involved has a great time, runners and the local community," said Michael. "We hope to create a community with this run, but also hope the local community takes us into their hearts and wants us back in future."

The race organisers have chosen to donate all the proceeds from the race and its’ fund-raising to Friends International, an award-winning social enterprise that helps create futures for marginalised children and youths across South East Asia.

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