Of interest to Marathoners

Run Mumbai! Win a place in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon with Sightsavers.

Win the chance to be flown to India and run in one of the world’s most popular and challenging marathons with Sightsavers and partners Skywards and Standard Chartered.

Sightsavers, which prevents and cures blindness in developing countries, has

teamed up with Skywards, the frequent flier programme of Emirates and Standard Chartered, the chief sponsors of the Mumbai marathon to give runners the chance to take part in the epic run on 15 January, 2012 with free flights to and from the event.

This is a fantastic opportunity to run 26.2 miles through the city known as the ‘nerve centre’ of India, before visiting a Sightsavers’ project near Mumbai and observing their life-changing work first hand.

A quarter of the world’s blind people live in India, so Sightsavers is offering a place in the marathon to help raise awareness of their Vision India campaign, which aims to raise £1 million to deliver eye care services to some of the poorest people in the country.

Sightsavers’ Development Manager Katrina Scaife ran Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon last year while working with Sightsavers in India. She said: “Running the marathon in Mumbai was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The marathon is one of the most amazing races a runner can do – it’s the only opportunity you’ll get to run across the Bandra Worli Sea Link bridge, with Mahim Bay on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other – it was simply incredible. My advice for runners looking to enter is to make sure you’ll be marathon fit by January, and think about the climate.”

Standard Chartered, the chief sponsors of the marathon, has donated the two places. Flights have been donated by Skywards, the award-winning the frequent flier programme of Emirates Airlines.

The place can be won in a draw on the Sightsavers website, by simply entering some personal details: http://www.sightsavers.org/sm_form/MumbaiMarathon.html

All entrants must be over 18 and be able to travel from an Emirates airport. The competition closes on the 27 November 2011. For full terms and conditions please visit http://www.sightsavers.org/runmumbai.