The inaugural St. Christopher’s Cathedral Charity Wheelathon held at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) was hailed as a tremendous success by all involved. This unique opportunity allowed all participants the chance to “wheel” their way around the prestigious track in Sakhir that is home to Formula 1 in the Middle East.

Children as young as one, adults as old as… well they did not care to give their ages… were seen being pushed, carried or making their own way around two specially designated tracks. Cyclists, skateboarders, rollerskaters and even those on scooters made their way around the challenging, at times, hilly, 5.4km main circuit. A smaller, flatter circuit of 2.2km was also made available to those not wishing to risk the faster downhill sections.

Both tracks enabled all “wheelers” the chance to follow (more slowly) in the tracks taken in front of the grandstands by famous Formula 1 teams such as Ferrari, MacLaren, Renault and BMW. One youngster was heard to exclaim; “this is making my dreams come true”, an accolade endorsed by many others.

Water, medical aid and stewardship was provided all around both tracks, while in a specially designated family area, Krazy Kevin kept the crowds entertained. There were also face painters and balloon twisters, plus a bouncy castle to keep the young, or young at heart, laughing and smiling once they had finished their exertions.

This tremendous event was hailed by staff at the BIC and other sponsors as being a wonderfully relaxed family day out. Strong winds and dust storms on the day had threatened to cause chaos, but the willingness and friendly assistance of the volunteers ensured the overall success of the day.

Nearly BD 5,000 has been raised that will be shared with two local charities, the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation and SNEHA, a local charity supporting disadvantaged children.

Thanks must go to the sponsors, without whom this would not have been possible. We are already now working on hosting the next one!
Watch this space! David Axtell