Walk this way

Join in with the ""mardi-gras of marathons"": The MoonWalk Edinburgh 2007 Ð Uniting Against Breast Cancer

Feature by Karen Taggart | 10 Jun 2007

Lorraine Kelly? In a pink bra? At midnight? I'm there! Though perhaps we had better explain a bit.

The Moonwalk Edinburgh is a fundraising walk organised by Walk the Walk – a charity dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research and care – and takes place at midnight on Saturday 16 June in the Meadows. This is no ordinary marathon: described as the "mardi-gras of marathons", not only do participants power-walk either a full marathon (26.2 miles) or half marathon (13.2 miles), they also start at midnight, sporting colourful decorated bras to raise awareness – a dress code extended to all male participants.

An annual event in London since 1998, last year's event was the first to be held in Scotland, and raised in excess of £1.7 million, making it one of Scotland's most successful fundraising events ever. Organisers are hoping to smash that result in 2007. Most of the money raised will stay in Scotland, with grants going to Maggie's Centres, The Breast Cancer Institute and Breast Foot Forward amongst others.

After last year's success, capacity was increased by 25%, and places for the 2nd Edinburgh MoonWalk are now full, with 10,000 participants set to join celebrities Lorraine Kelly and Michelle McManus on the night. Expect an incredibly vibrant atmosphere; a true sense of everyone coming together to promote the one cause – breast cancer awareness.

Teams and individuals across the country have been in training for the past few months, gearing up for the big night. The reason the MoonWalk is such a hugely popular event is due to the fact that breast cancer touches millions of lives everyday. As well as raising money for charity it is also aimed at encouraging women to live a healthier lifestyle using simple techniques such as power-walking. New Balance have sponsored MoonWalk for the third year in a row, and have even created specially designed 'Walk The Walk' trainers in two styles, produced with power-walking in mind. Participants follow a circular route taking in Silverknowes and Portobello before returning to the Meadows. Last year well-wishers lined the route to support the walkers, many of whom wore brightly-coloured outfits and fancy dress - with pink being the obvious colour of choice – no doubt providing valuable support when approaching the final few miles. Good luck to all participants: The Skinny will be at the finish line cheering you on – well done!

http://www.walkthewalk.org