On your marks. Get set. Go!

As Roofing Racers celebrates its 10th anniversary, this most iconic of industry events has raised over £420,000 for charity.

It seems incredible to think that 10 years ago, as the first Roofing Racers lined up at the start of the London Triathlon, they were beginning a journey that’s still going on today. What started as a small team of colleagues wanting to raise money for charity, has developed into an event that brings the whole industry together with teams and individuals from Roofing, Building Plastics and Windows industries all over the UK and abroad.

On Saturday 6th August they will once again start with a 750 metre swim in the River Thames before cycling 20 kilometres, followed by a 5 kilometre sprint to the finishing line in one of the world’s largest triathlons.

To celebrate this decade of achievement, we asked some of the competitors what taking part means to them and why they do it. For some, the reasons are very personal…

David Bethell is a veteran of three Roofing Racers triathlons and missed last year’s event because he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After major surgery he is “… fingers crossed on the road to recovery and back at work, and to be honest using the Roofing Racers triathlon as part of my recovery. It’s a great reason to get off my backside in the morning and work on getting fit again!”

For Russell Pagan, it’s an annual tradition that he sees as his own personal MOT! This year he’ll be doing it with his son Chris, and has personal experience of the good work the charities do: “They are both important charities. Macmillan, because of the great work they do for people with cancer. GOSH, because Great Ormond’s Street Hospital saved my son’s life and without charitable donations they wouldn’t be there to do that.”

Kevin Rae agrees: “I am taking part in Roofing Racers as we are all aiming to raise money for good causes. The whole organisation of the event is superb, and meeting fellow work colleagues from groups who you would never normally see is great. As for the night it’s a fantastic event that the whole family can enjoy.”

The more training you put in the more you’ll get out of it. Jorge Bonet spends “… almost 20 hours a week training to achieve my personal goals. I want to win!” Win or not it’s the taking part that counts. When it comes to giving advice to fellow athletes taking part, Janine Brady is taking a lighthearted approach: “I’d love to be able to impart some words of sporting wisdom here… however I can’t… so I’ll just say… please come and get me if I start drowning in the Thames!” In the team spirit of the Roofing Racers, we’re sure there will be plenty of helping hands!

There’s still time to sponsor the Roofing Racers team and help these two incredible charities continue their great work. You can do this by visiting www.roofingracers.com.

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