Covers Timber and Builders Merchants is not only sponsoring the Chichester Half Marathon in aid of Children on the Edge, but it is entering a team for the event too.

The ‘Chi Half’, now in its third year following its 2012 revival, follows a route taking in some of Chichester’s historic sites including the Cathedral and the city walls, before leaving the city behind for the open spaces of the South Downs. A steep ascent to the Trundle, (an Iron Age fortification) will give the runners views over Chichester Harbour and the Sussex Coast, before the descent through West Dean woods and finally back to the city. This year it’s expected that over 1,000 runners will take part.

The race has supported Children on the Edge since its revival and the international charity has its base in Chichester. Its aim is to ‘bring forgotten children from the edge to the centre’ and focuses on forgotten and fragmented communities not reached by the aid agencies.

Covers’ chairman Rupert Green and managing director Henry Green have persuaded their staff to don their trainers in aid of this very worthwhile cause and they are leading from the front by taking part themselves. Other members of the Covers team are Sam Cole, Jamie Irish, Simon Vyvyan and Phil Clare from the Chichester depot.

Every participant in the race will receive a goodie bag at the finish line which will be provided by Covers. Mr Green said: “We are very proud to be supporting Children on the Edge and especially by entering a team from Covers. We are taking our commitment to it very seriously and the training programme is well under way.”