Interfaith Fun Run celebrates religious tolerance and diversity

The third London Interfaith Fun Run welcomed 100 runners to StoneX Stadium in north London on Sunday 3rd September.

The family event unites hundreds of runners and spectators from diverse faith and belief communities.

Runners chose between non-competitive 1km, 5km or 10km routes, returning to a buzzing festival area which featured dance and music performances from a wide range of cultures and food from diverse cuisines. A charity fair showcased the incredible work of all participating cross-communal charities.

The chair of His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London’s Council on Faith, David Dangoor, whose eldest grandaughter took part on the day alongside her mother, has described the Interfaith Fun Run as “an opportunity for Londoners, whatever their ethnic group or faith, to come together and send a message of unity and friendship”.

Rabbi Daniel Epstein of Western Marble Arch synagogue took on the 5k alongside his 16-year old son Jacob, having raised £2k for interfaith work in their shul community.

Htold Jewish News they were “looking forward to putting that into action with some wonderful interfaith activities over the next few months.”

Phil Champain, the director of the Faith and Belief Forum, told Jewish News the event is important in “celebrating the huge diversity of faiths and beliefs, particularly in London, which is an extremely diverse city. I think 70% of Londoners identify with a religious faith, which is more than the national average. By celebrating that, we also build bridges between those communities to strengthen community resilience and social cohesion.”

Michael Ziff, president of Maccabi GB, treasurer of the Board of Deputies and a trustee of The Faith & Belief Forum, told Jewish News he believes fun runs are very important in terms of bringing people together. “One thing a fun run does compared to a sports game is that you don’t compete with each other face on; you’re all actually going in the same direction.

“It’s one of my great beliefs that if we’re all looking at the same picture going forward rather than facing each other, we have a better chance of getting people to work together. That to me is important, particularly in the area of interfaith work.

This event was organised by The Faith & Belief Forum and Maccabi GB with the generous support of Dangoor Education, Eastern Eye, Jewish News, Jewish Volunteering Network, Voice of Islam Radio and Greater London Lieutenancy’s Council of Faith.