Tyne Tunnel 2K race will still go on

Sep 9 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A WORLD renowned wheelchair race was saved after organisers fought to plug a £50,000 hole in their funding.

Every year elite wheelchair athletes travel to Tyneside from across the globe to take part in the Tyne Tunnel 2k.

But, as reported in The Journal in July, the race was put in jeopardy after £40,000 worth of funding from the NewcastleGateshead Initiative dried up and a £10,000 partnership with UK ironmongers Geze was also scrapped.

It left race organiser David Burdus frantically trying to fill the £50,000 void left in his funding purse. However, the event was given an 11th hour reprieve last night after Mr Burdus won funding from a host of local and international businesses.

Mr Burdus said: “It’s amazing – I thought we were dead in the water. Two months ago, a complete lack of funding looked certain to kill off this cult event in 2009 but a heroic effort has pulled together regional supporters to keep the race alive.”

Over the last four years, the NewcastleGateshead Initiative has had a central funding role in the Tyne Tunnel 2k.

Last year the event cost £65,000 in total, but organisers claim the actual cost stretched to as much as £90,000 when taking into consideration help in kind.

Among those putting their hands in their pockets to fund the project is Tyne Tunnel 2, Bouygues Travaux Publics, South Tyneside Council, North Tyneside Council and Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority.