Harrogate independent shop Up & Running champions heart health in new partnership with Heart Research UK

Throughout the partnership, Up & Running will be championing running for heart health across all of its 29 shops and in the local community, as well as raising money to go towards funding Heart Research UK’s life-saving heart disease research.

As Up & Running is celebrating its 30th anniversary, the fundraising is kickstarting with a 1992-mile relay challenge involving staff from across its shops in a nod to the year the company was founded.

Gillian Macfarlane, founder of Up & Running said: “We’re excited to embark on the partnership with Heart Research UK. We have a lot of shared values with the charity when it comes to encouraging people of all fitness levels to exercise regularly and enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.”

Up & Running will also be building on the success of its popular free weekly Social Run Groups by hosting a number of couch to 5k training sessions geared around encouraging people to get active.

Shops will also be hosting heart health days with the charity to raise awareness of the effect that diet and exercise can have on your heart.

Helen Wilson, Head of Research at Heart Research UK, said, "Coronary heart disease is one of the UK's biggest killers.

"It is well known that being physically active reduces the risk of heart disease and we are delighted to be working with Up & Running to encourage more people to get running.

For more information, visit www.upandrunning.co.uk