Runners, listen up because the much-loved Chester Zoo 10k is back for 2024 and this year’s run aligns with an important national day in the world of animal conservation.
Just the second time the charity event has taken place, Chester Zoo‘s ‘Run For Nature’ proved a success in its inaugural year and is now set to welcome 2,500 racers to the world-renowned and award-winning wildlife park for one of the coolest routes to jog around you could ever ask for.
In case you were in any doubt, yes, those taking part will stomp through the 128-acre zoo, racing past Asian elephants, the rare Rothschild’s giraffes, camels, giant otters and more – all before continuing out into the wider Cheshire countryside and circling back to the finish line at the zoo.
Say no more, sign us up.
RUN 10K AT THE ZOO AND HELP SAVE RHINOS🦏
Join us on Sunday 22 September 2024 for our Run For Nature 10K event!
YOU will stomp past elephants, giant otters and giraffes before we open our gates to the public. Then, pick up your sustainable medal and enjoy a FREE day at the zoo… pic.twitter.com/LqrCK9s2DQ
Most importantly, this year’s Chester Zoo 10k lands on World Rhino Day, a global moment of observance and recognition of the majestic creatures which are still sadly threatened with potential extinction.
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People from all over the globe gather together every try to raise awareness and money for this important cause on 22 September every year, and now both you and the zoo can do your bit lacing up your running shoes and simply going for a jog.
There were once more than 500,000 rhinos roaming across Africa, Asia and parts of Europe; now there are just 25,000 on the entire planet, including those kept in conservation facilities like Chester’s, but the hope is that with the money generated through initiatives like this, the population can rise once again.
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Runners of all abilities are being invited to take part in the main 10K and there’s even a special one-mile ‘Zoom’ fun run for kids aged 4-15, so pretty much everyone can get involved.
All participants will receive a sustainable medal on completion of the run, as well as free entry to the zoo on the day. Top fundraisers will also have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, such as annual zoo memberships, animal adoptions and experiences, as well as bundles of other vouchers.
All proceeds from the 2024 Run For Nature will go towards the zoo’s efforts to protect rhinos from extinction, which include developing innovative scientific techniques – which they have been pioneering for 15+ years – such as using hormone monitoring to provide crucial insights into the health of rhinos.
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For instance, just a few months ago, this technology helped 21 critically endangered black rhinos (with a baby female being born at Chester Zoo back in November 2023) be returned to an area in northern Kenya where they had previously been extinct for 50 years.
Lorraine Jubb, Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo, said: “We’re really excited to be bringing back our 10k Run For Nature event… it’s a relatively flat route and an excellent opportunity to break your PB!…
“All you have to do is sign up online and we’ll send you a registration pack in the post, which includes all of the fundraising details and your numbered bib, so you can just turn up on the day and start warming up. It’s going to be a fun-filled day that the whole family can enjoy and make a real difference for wildlife.”
So, if you want to get involved and make a contribution to animal conservation this World Rhino Day, you can sign up for Chester Zoo’s 10k Run For Nature on Sunday, 22 September HERE and we’ll see you at the finish line.
Greater Manchester’s ‘Stroll for Salford’ walking event returns for its second year in 2026
Danny Jones
Following its successful debut last year, Greater Manchester’s now much-loved Stroll for Salford (SfS) event is back for 2026 this autumn.
We’d like to think everyone from around here is filled with hometown pride, but you ask anyone from Salford, and they’ll quickly remind you that this place is its own city, and that it quite rightly deserves celebrating all of its own.
And that’s exactly what the SfS is all about: not just toasting it as the region’s so-called ‘second city’, but as the culturally abundant place that it is and has been for more than 100 years.
Yes, with this sophomore edition following on from the borough celebrating its official Centenary, what better time to hail all things Salfordian.
Stroll for Salford is back🚶🧡
We are delighted to announce the return of the popular fundraising walk back for its second edition on Saturday 19th September as part of Salford's Centenary Year celebrations!
— Salford City FC Foundation (@SalfordCity_FDN) July 30, 2026
Set up by Salford City FC and the partnered charity arm, Foundation 92, the inaugural walk raised more than £3,000 for charity with its maiden event.
Thousands got behind the cause, be it through volunteering and/or donating, as well as talking on the walking route itself back in October.
It’s actually happening a little earlier this time, with the second Stroll for Salford scheduled for Saturday, 19 September.
Kicking off from 10am, those taking part will be setting out on foot for a six-mile journey across the city, starting at the likes of the Civic Centre in Swinton, before passing through other key towns and finishing, of course, at Salford’s AIG Stadium on Moor Lane in Kersal.
The local League Two side continues to do plenty of important work in and around the community – this is just one of many recent, well-received initiatives.
As mentioned earlier, those getting involved will not only receive a special Salford t-shirt following the event alongside a finisher’s medal, but even a complimentary ticket to go and see ‘The Ammies’ in action at their home ground this season.
Not a bad deal at all.
For anyone uninitiated interested in coming along the journey, the route will also pass several key landmarks and a real sense of local history – all while doing your bit for a good cause.
You can help raise important funds for the local area and sign up for the Stroll for Salford 2026 HERE.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, another wholesome all-ages event is fast-approaching this August, too; keep on reading to find out all about it…
Manchester City are offering North West kids the chance to win a team training session
Danny Jones
Manchester City are offering kids across the North West a chance to win a free team training session as part of their latest grassroots competition.
Teaming up with their official sleep partners and well-known British mattress brand, Silentnight, Man City are once again giving children throughout the region the opportunity to train at the Etihad Campus itself.
Better still, all the kids have to do is what they already live and breathe to do: play footy.
Alongside the competition, they’re dishing out free advice for parents to help ensure their children get the proper rest and recovery they need through a good night’s sleep.
Continuing to promote how a good sleep in a proper bed can do wonders when it comes not only to fitness and staying active but overall health, this is part of their wider ‘Dream Big’ campaign.
Put in the simplest terms, as part of this initiative, young football teams across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester and beyond are able to be nominated by coaches, parents, guardians or club representatives for this special scheme.
The exclusive coaching session, for whoever is fortunate enough to earn it, will be delivered directly by a professional MCFC coach at The City Football Academy.
Even better still, the winning team will also receive free Man City kits, not to mention Silentnight Healthy Growth Kids mattresses.
Speaking ahead of the event, Manchester City’s Vice President of Partnerships, Marketing and Operations, Mark Lambert, said in a statement: “Our partnership with Silentnight is built on a shared commitment to supporting healthier, more active lives, so it’s great to come together on Dream Big.
“Grassroots football plays a vital role in inspiring young players and bringing communities together, and we’re looking forward to welcoming the winning team to the City Football Academy for what we hope will be a memorable experience.”
It’s not the only big thing they’re doing to help promote grassroots football in the local area, either.
Kathryn Pinkham, sleep expert at Silentnight, went on to add: “When children are busy with school, training, matches and everything else that comes with family life, sleep can sometimes slip down the priority list.
“But for young footballers, getting enough good-quality rest can make such a difference – helping them recover after games, concentrate at school and enjoy their sport. The 10-Step Sleep Guide is designed to give families simple, practical tips they can actually use at home.”
Man City’s kids’ coaching sessions will take place on Wednesday, 19 August from 1-3pm, and applications are already live; the window closes at 11:59pm this coming Monday (3 Aug).
To find out more and put a team name forward – made up of players aged seven and over, with no more than a two-year age gap between the youngest and oldest player – you can do so HERE.
Danny Jones -
27th June 2024 
