Member Article

Unilever Announced As Port Sunlight Road Race Sponsor

Unilever Port Sunlight has been confirmed as the headline sponsor of the increasingly popular annual BTR Port Sunlight Road Race.

The announcement comes from race organisers BTR Liverpool and Port Sunlight Village Trust almost nine weeks ahead of the 2016 event.

The BTR Port Sunlight Road Race sponsored by Unilever is now firmly established in the village’s event calendar and on the region’s running scene.

This year’s event takes place on Sunday, 17 April, and is the fifth consecutive year the race day has taken place.

Participants take to the tree-lined boulevards of Port Sunlight Village for three events – 10K, 5K and children’s 1K fun run.

Unilever is supporting the event for the third consecutive year as Unilever brightFuture – its movement for people everywhere who want to make the world a better place for their children and future generations.

Unilever is extremely proud of its history and heritage in Port Sunlight, where company founder William Lever built his factory and village in 1888. The company continues to have world class manufacturing, R&D and IT facilities based here, along with a third of its UK workforce.

Amongst Unilever’s brands are household names such as Persil, Dove, Tresemme, Radox, Comfort and Surf. A team of Unilever runners will also take part in the 5K and 10K races.

Cameron Jones, Head of Unilever Port Sunlight, commented:

“Unilever is delighted to be headline sponsor of the BTR Port Sunlight Road Race again this year.

“We want to create a brighter future and by 2020 we aim to help a billion people around the world improve their health and well-being, including our own employees. Supporting the Road Race in our historic home is a fantastic way to show our commitment to this goal, as well as helping to showcase the village to so many visitors.

“Good luck to all the runners taking part, including our very own team from Unilever.”

The BTR Port Sunlight Road Race events start and finish next to the village green, adjacent to Port Sunlight Museum, which provides a fantastic backdrop for the day’s proceedings.

Last year almost 1,800 runners took part, including almost 40 running enthusiasts who ran in both the 5K and 10Ks to be double racers on the day. Runners were joined by thousands of spectators who lined the village roads to lend their support and cheer the runners on to the finish line.

The 5K runners set off at 10am to complete a loop route, taking in key sights across the village. They are followed at 11am by the 10K race, which is two laps of the same course.

All 5K and 10K finishers will receive a bespoke finishers’ medal, T-shirt and goody bag. The 1K Kids’ Fun Run will start at approximately 12.30pm once the race course is clear. They will also receive a medal and a goody bag.

Paul Harris, CEO of the Port Sunlight Village Trust, added:

“We are delighted to be hosting the fifth annual Port Sunlight Road Race in the village again this year – and to be working with Unilever as headline sponsor and BTR Liverpool as the race organiser.

“The event is a perfect fit for Port Sunlight and there is always a very special atmosphere in the village on race day thanks to the many thousands of runners, visitors and village residents who turn out to support the occasion.”

BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline race events across Liverpool City Region. Its portfolio also includes the Mersey Tunnel 10K; Liverpool Santa Dash; 26-mile Whistle Stop Tour Of Wirral; and the award winning Wirral Half Marathon/10K.

BTR Liverpool Race Director Alan Rothwell said:

“The BTR Port Sunlight Road Race has become firmly established within the village events calendar – and we thank the Port Sunlight Village Trust for inviting us back for 2016. It’s fantastic to again have Unilever on-board as the headline sponsor, which enables us to grow and develop the overall event.”

Race entries are now open.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Erica Dillon .