Charity was the big winner at this year’s Sheffield Half Marathon to the tune of £45,000!

The staggering amount was raised for the eight chosen charities at the Bright Finance sponsored 13.1-mile race in May, and was presented by Lord Mayor Cllr Arthur Dunworth and Lady Mayoress Cllr Kathleen Chadwick at an awards ceremony to honour the runners who made the difference.

The charity cash was split between Myasthenia Gravis Association, RSPCA Sheffield, Macmillan Cancer Support, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre South Yorkshire, Sheffield Wildlife Trust, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and Help a Hallam Child.

Margaret Lilley, Chair of the Half Marathon Organising Committee, said: “It is such a massive amount and really demonstrates how much the people of Sheffield embraced the event.”

Julian Entwistle, Managing Director of Bright Finance Mortgages – part of the Bright Finance Group – the main sponsors of the event, collected a plaque along with Sheffield International Venues’ MD Steve Brailey to commemorate the significant contribution of their organisations to the event.

Gary Clifton, Sheffield City Council’s Major Sports Event Unit Manager, was awarded the Man of Steel trophy for his contribution to the organisation of the event as the leader of the Route Management Group for five years and for designing the risk assessment system that the Sheffield Half Marathon relies on. This year’s race was the first time he has participated in the actual event. He finished 1,349th.

Anthony Kiernan, of Forres Road, Crookes, with £1,444 raised the most money whilst Emma Tinsley, John Staniforth, Sue Waterall, and Abby Worsnip made up the top five main individual sponsorship raisers.

Sheffield High School Deputy Head Simon Mozley was present at Don Valley Stadium to pick up the award for the biggest group sponsorship raisers after the girls’ school raised £1,139.50.

The 2008 Sheffield Half Marathon will take place on April 27 from 9.30am at Don Valley Stadium.