Midas machines run first Vitality Big Festival
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11,000 amateur runners, many from host boroughs Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich, followed the elite athletes’ race along the 13.1-mile route from Tower Bridge, the majority joining friends, family and supporters at the festival afterwards.
Event management specialist Relevent commissioned six Midas sets for the contract, providing for stage production, the sponsors’ area, including a New Balance shop and a fitness centre, a run of street stalls and the production village.
James Hodgson, director at Relevent, comments: “We have worked with Midas for a good many years. It’s an independent company that I’m absolutely confident about. The machines are very good, and reliable, and the Midas team is friendly and ready to dig in and help as required.”
The Big Festival build had to deal with about three inches of snow, sweeping the site to find the Royal Parks’ pre-requisite trackway for plant and vehicles.
Hugh Brasher, the event director, who completed the run himself, said: “When we launched the Vitality Big Half, we set ourselves a target of making it the first mass participation event that truly reflects London’s unique diversity while also bringing together the best athletes in the world. We said we wanted an event that was truly global and uniquely local and we achieved that.”
(Jim Evans)
