Tile specialist, Ceramique Internationale, has supported the Great North Run Penguins as they competed for the tenth, and probably final, time and hit an impressive total of more than £50,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Research.
 
Dating back to the 1990s, Team Penguin began as a group of friends wearing penguin suits to a fancy-dress party, which led to one member, Richard Logan, being challenged to complete the 2005 Great North Run in full penguin costume. Snowballing from there, with many friends and colleagues taking part over the years, the penguin runners have become a familiar sight in the race. The group decided that this year was the Penguins’ last, with a number of the original members retiring from running.
 
Ceramique Internationale has supported the group since 2016, when its own Specification Sales Director, David Longbottom, began taking part in the team’s half-marathon efforts, having always sponsored the penguins.
 
The team had already raised a remarkable £48,000 across previous Great North Runs and, with another £2,300 raised so far this year, are ending on a high by smashing through their £50,000 fundraising target. Seven penguins ran the thirteen-mile race on Sunday, with member Andrew Shorey even setting a new penguin record with an incredible time of 01:30:57 – and being interviewed live on the BBC as a result.
 
David Longbottom, Specification Sales Director at Ceramique Internationale, said: “It was very warm, especially in a black penguin suit! But the crowd was amazing from start to finish. We all had a fantastic day and are thrilled to have reached our target total – which hopefully may raise even higher.
 
“It has been a pleasure to run with the penguins and raise money in support of the inspirational work at Yorkshire Cancer Research. Yorkshire has worse cancer outcomes than most of England, and every penny of our £50,000 total will go towards helping people avoid, survive and cope with cancer.”
 
Director of Ceramique Internationale, Cameron Fraser, said: “We were delighted to support such a deserving cause once more, especially to help them reach the incredible total of £50,000 on their final run.”
 
The 2019 penguin group, made up of friends and work acquaintances all with a common reason to run for Yorkshire Cancer Research, consisted of: Alex Broadley, Andy Shorey, David Longbottom, James Lodge, John Bretherick, Mat Kettlewell and Oliver Anderson. Most members come from the Bradford and Leeds area.
 
Donate to the Great North Run Penguins here. 
 
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