Kelowna’s fourth annual Hungry Hungry Half Marathon kicked off bright and early Saturday morning for a day of fun, food and philanthropy.

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The fun-run welcomes individuals of all ages and abilities to participate in either a one-kilometre kid's run, a five or 10 km run or a 21 km half-marathon all the while raising funds for the Central Okanagan Food Bank.

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For its fourth edition, the event saw 350 participants turn up at 7 a.m., nearly doubling the number of runners from year one.

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“The outpour of support from the community within the last four years has been absolutely amazing, It’s overwhelming,” said race director, Sarah Carson.

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Prior to go time, the tally for funds raised at the 2019 event was at over $6,000 — bringing the grand Hungry Half total to over $36,000 donated since its inception.

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“This means more food in the bellies of people who need it during this time of year. Often people think to donate to the food bank over Christmas and not in the springtime —it has been unbelievable to see how the community pulls together to make this all happen,” added Carson.

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Priding itself as an all-inclusive event, the Hungry Half welcomed participants of all abilities to join in, with the youngest runner signing up at just one-year-old and the most season being over 70 years of age.

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“We wanted to make sure the run was inclusive because I think Kelowna is quite inclusive and we wanted to showcase that so we have quite a diverse group out here today,” said Carson.

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Not only does the event highlight a food theme through its name and charitable aspect, but attendees are encouraged to wear their best food-inspired attire and have the opportunity to enjoy tasty treats at pit stops along the race route.

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Photo credit: NowMedia

Photo credit: NowMedia

Photo credit: NowMedia