Sanctuary Runners has become the first ever charity partner of Morton Games. The partnership was announced yesterday evening, Thursday April 11th, at the Morton Stadium Dublin attended by Clonliffe athletes Mahad Mohamed Egaal, Abdi Ali Maow and Ibrahim Umar, all of whom started their athletics journey with Sanctuary Runners. Mahad in fact competed in the men’s U/20 mile race at last year’s Morton Games.
Sanctuary Runners, founded 6 years ago, is a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running, jogging and walking to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all Irish residents. Their familiar blue T-shirt is now a staple at road racing events throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. Many Sanctuary Runners having taken those initial tentative steps in the sport of athletics have since been welcomed in as members of the wider athletics community by joining clubs including Clonliffe Harriers AC, the club that promotes and hosts Morton Games.
In announcing the partnership Noel Guiden, meet director of Morton Games said: ‘Morton Games as an international athletics meet welcomes athletes from all corners of the world to Dublin each summer and we are therefore delighted to welcome our friends from Sanctuary Runners to be a part of Morton Games. Throughout history, and indeed now, Irish emigrants have left Ireland’s shores for communities many thousands of miles from home. Today Ireland has extended a warm welcome to thousands of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and whilst we all recognise there are challenges, we at Morton Games want to show solidarity by offering the hand of friendship to those who have left family and friends behind and welcome them as members of our Morton Games community.’
Susan Moran, Dublin Group Leader Sanctuary Runners said: ‘we are delighted to partner with Morton Games and being afforded this exciting opportunity to bring the message of solidarity, friendship and respect to the wider athletics community. Our mission statement is to become bridge builders by using running and walking groups to bring asylum seekers, refugees and migrants together and by creating these opportunities in an equal and respectful way this will enable the entire community to develop friendships.”
Sanctuary Runners will be guests of Morton Games on July 12th in Morton Stadium and will have an information booth to further spread the message of solidarity, friendship and respect.
The issue of sustainability is of exceptional importance and Morton Games on the night, as part of our sustainability objectives, is offering the opportunity to athletes, runners and supporters to do something positive on sustainability and in the process to provide for our friends from Sanctuary Runners. Those training shoes that you have just replaced will find a new home– indeed they could yet run that PB! – there will be a collection facility available so that spectators on the night of Morton Games may donate their (clean please) old training shoes to Sanctuary Runners. Those shoes will have a second life on the feet of a Sanctuary Runner.
Morton Games also pledges to donate to Sanctuary Runners any surplus promotional items and products following the event.
You will find further details of both organisations on their websites: https://sanctuaryrunners.ie/ https://www.mortongames.ie/
Morton Games takes place on Friday, July 12 at the Morton Stadium Dublin with a full programme of international athletics events including the iconic Morton Mile. E tickets, as part of the sustainability drive, are now on sale https://eventmaster.ie/event/vvR6SPoSb4