SPAR has stepped in to sponsor the upcoming Millom Striders 10K Lighthouse Road Race and Family Fun Run event.

Runners from across Cumbria and beyond are expected to line up in Millom for the start of the event on May 29 – the first major race the running club has been able to hold since restrictions brought in by the pandemic were eased.

The start and finish of the race will be at the Ski Bar on the site of the Port Haverigg Marina Village Holiday Park, and as well as the main race at 11am, a Family Fun Run will kick off proceedings an hour earlier at 10am.

Tony and Emily Barrow of Wharton’s Garage and SPAR store in Millom joined forces with James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR UK’s primary wholesaler and distributor for Northern England, to sponsor the event.

At the height of The Millom Striders Running Club, the group had a membership of over 150, but that has declined to around 100 over the last two years. Now up and running again, the group is hoping to make strides in 2022 and boost its membership to pre-pandemic levels.

Andrew Rigg, Chairman and one of the founding members of the Millom Striders, said: “We’re thrilled SPAR has come on board to support our event and we are raring to go now that we are into May.

“It has been a challenging time for clubs and societies recently, but 2022 has started well for us with some strong performances in our junior ranks which is a growing area of our membership. We’re hoping the Lighthouse 10K will be a platform for developing our membership further still with all age groups.

“Event timing is included as part of the entry, and all entrants who finish the Lighthouse 10K Race will receive a medal. More details on the event can be found at www.runbritain.com when you search ‘Millom Striders’.”

Tony Barrow, of Wharton’s Garage, said: “Millom is a really close-knit community, and we are more than happy to show our support for grassroots events like the Lighthouse 10K.

“I know that supporting communities is important to SPAR as a brand too, and we’re thrilled that James Hall & Co. Ltd has agreed to jointly sponsor this event – the company has been really good to us as a business over the last 15 years.”