Disability Friendly Run

On the 22nd of June  at 9.30am on Grattan Quay with the support and guidance of Autism Friendly Waterford, Chime, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Brothers of Charity, Rehab Group, and the Waterford City Council, the Waterford Viking Marathon will host the first ever Disability Friendly Run. We are so excited about creating this opportunity for so many, that have been excluded from running events before. A huge thank you also to our sponsors WLR, Sanofi, Carten Controls, Sun Life, Flahavan’s, Clem Jacob Hire, and Azzurri  for supporting such a wonderful event.

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The event starts at Grattan Quay in Waterford City. Participants cross the Edmund Rice Bridge, and head for the Waterford City Bypass where they will pass through a toll bridge – a rare opportunity in Ireland. The route then takes a turn, leading to the scenic Greenway by the River Suir. After enjoying the natural beauty of the river and trees, participants return to Grattan Quay for the finish line, covering a distance of just over 8 kilometers.

Crossing the finish line, participants will be greeted with a sense of accomplishment, having conquered the unique challenges and completed the first of many Disability Friendly runs. All participants will receive a race day medal, goodie bag and t-shirt.

A number of measures have been put in place to create a safe enjoyable environment for all participants to run or walk the event. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, [email protected]

Suggested accommodations to make the race more disability friendly and to remove some barriers associated with an organised run:

The Event

Accommodations made to make the race more disability friendly and to remove some barriers associated with an organised run: (Race distance just over 8km)
• Separate start and finish points (to reduce crowds and possible overwhelm).
• Waiver sought so that the runners can wear headphones/earbuds (to reduce sensory overload of unwanted sounds and to increase regulation with chosen sounds).
• Extra stewards to support appropriately.
• Visual signs every 500m to enable people who struggle with spatial awareness and direction (dyspraxia) to stay on track.
• Toilets available at start, halfway and end of race (to account for weakened pelvic floor strength).
• Water stations at start, halfway and end of race (regular hydration will help to reduce interoceptive overload and help with recovery post race).
• Purple t-shirts provided for the participants, so that each participant easily recognisable and can be supported appropriately.
• Choice of walking or running the distance to allow for varying abilities.
• Choice for the individual to bring a friend or family member to support them during the race. If the individual has no one they could bring but would like this support, we will have volunteers available to walk/run with small groups to provide support along the way.
• There is a quite space close to the start/finish line which will be set up as a quiet/regulation space (to enable regulation and recovery).