The first ever Tree-Athlon will be taking place in Battersea Park, in London, in September 2005, to raise money for the planting and nurture of thousands of trees across the UK and internationally. Organised by the charity, Trees for Cities, the Tree-Athlon is a three-part event for fit tree lovers of all ages. It will include a 5km run and the athlete who raises the most in sponsorship will have a woodland named after them.

The event will also offer activities for children and non-runners including a tree trail walk hosted by Scooby-Doo from Cartoon Network, a tree competi-tion, face-painting and more. Top celebrities have pledged their support for the Tree-Athlon. Linford Christie will be on hand on the day to take participants through a warm-up and present the prizes. “It’s great to be involved,” said Linford. “I’m a keen gardener and I think it’s important that everyone who lives and works in cities is able to enjoy the beauty and sense of calm that trees bring. For athletes, having a healthy environment around them is really important,” Top TV gardening guru, Diarmuid Gavin, is also a supporter of Trees for Cities and will be participating in the event. “The world’s first Tree-Athlon will raise enough to transform some of the world’s bleakest urban spaces with trees, from London’s East End to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia,” he enthuses.

“As someone who lives in London and a Patron of the Trees for Cities charity,” said celebrity impersonator, Alistair McGowan, who will be starting the race, “I am only too aware of how important trees are in the urban en-vironment and this is a fantastic way for people to get involved.” Registration for the event costs £15 and all those that register on-line will receive a Tree-Athlon t-shirt, a running bib printed with their tree wish’ and their own tree seed to plant in a special pot at the event and take home. The tree wish can be any suitable message the individual wants to achieve, such as More Trees for Better Air, while the seed will eventually grow into a birch tree, adding yet more valuable trees to the eco-system. Tony Denton, of Thames Water, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the world’s first Tree-Athlon. We supply water to over 5 million customers in the capital and the Thames Valley, and improving London’s environment is a key part of our commitment to the community. The Tree-Athlon will be a motivating and fun initiative and we would urge everyone to get involved and help raise funds to improve the environment for us all.”