21 runners ran between 4k and 12k to help 3 community projects on one night

Coooorrrr- what a night! 3 tasks, 21 people, 1 new run start point, 12 long kilometres!

Well we didn't all run that far- (some of us ran a lovely 4k along the canal), but we all made a great contribution to 3 community projects. We were also very lucky to be able to start our run from the plush new gym at Pancras Square due to Somers Town Community Centre's closure for the night- thanks to them!

The Skip Garden

This 'community garden with a difference' is doing amazing work with local young people. It's a sustainable vegetable garden built in skips looked after by ”the Generators” – the name given to the young people involved with the project – working with volunteers from Global Generation, the Guardian newspaper and King’s Cross construction workers.

The project teaches young people about sustainability, construction, how to grow food, and how to market and sell their produce. (Here's a link to the site)[http://www.kingscross.co.uk/skip-garden]

The task

8 people stopped off to help out Paul and his team with some heavy lifting. A group of GoodGyms can make light of a job that would take Paul a whole afternoon- and we quickly shifted some heavy bags of soil, pallets and the Gardening Groups huge composting rocket. Paul was delighted- nice one guys for helping out.

**Maiden Lane Enterprises

A small team ran on to Maiden Lane enterprises, a community led organisation who are responsible for maintaining the green spaces on the estate. Head Gardener Les is busy turning the areas into growing spaces- creating edible beds that residents help to grow (and eat). Les needed some help shifting two large raised beds down some stairs to the new growing area and then giving them a lick of paint. Despite a few difficulties squeezing the beds through narrow lanes we managed it. In fact the hardest part of the evening was navigating round the maze that is Maiden Lane Estate.

Canal Run

When we had finished the guys had joined us from the Skip Garden and we all headed back on a nice Canal run together, with some taking a long cut to give themselves a challenge on the way home.

Kingsgate Gardening Club

The third group headed to Kingsgate Community Centre to help AJ and his inspiring Gardening Club. They are turning some disused areas of a local estate into beautiful growing spaces. They're so good they have been nominated for a Camden in Bloom Award!

Here's Pritesh's account of the mammoth run;

"A tough long run on a muggy night. A good route to practice our hill running techniques, both up and down, there may have been some modifications on the way though. A good tough task with some lovely people at Kingsgate, helping to clear some of the local's gardens. On the way back we cracked out a pretty good pace before the reward of a burger and a pint on national burger day! C'est Magnifique!"