With excitement mounting for Leeds United’s Championship playoff final at Wembley on Sunday, organisers of Cross Flatts parkrun have renamed Saturday’s event ‘Farke-run’, in honour of the Leeds manager Daniel Farke.
Runners, walkers and joggers attending on Saturday are encouraged to wear Leeds United shirts and Event Director Mark Hodgekinson will be joining them in full kit.
But there’s a twist. Mark is not a Leeds supporter, in fact he’s a life long West Bromwich Albion fan. Mark has only agreed to don the kit – and lead the singing of Marching On Together – in order to fundraise for local charity Kidz Klub Leeds.
Mark said that although he’s not a Leeds fan it’s a good thing to do to bring the community together at an event that (almost) overlooks Elland Road stadium. He explained why he’s raising funds for a Kidz Klub residential for children from Beeston this summer:
“Kidz Klub Leeds are a ‘boots on the ground’ organisation who have been working with the inner city children of Leeds for over 19 years now. They believe that the children of the city are the community and world changers of the future and their job is to help them to SHINE! Child poverty in this day and age is NOT OK, and I’d love you join me in fundraising to support this charity in proving opportunities for transformation.”
There will a bucket collection on Saturday morning, or you can donate online here.
Cross Flatts parkrun is a free 5km run, walk or jog. It starts at 9am every Saturday at the top of the park near the bowling greens. Register to get your barcode before your first event at: www.parkrun.org.uk/register
Photo: Mark Hodgkinson giving the pre-event briefing at Cross Flatts parkrun
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper which have doubled in the last two years.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
