Premier League refs to take part in Pennine Lancashire 10k

Mike Riley, Phil Dowd, Anthony Taylor, Bobby Madley and Mike Jones will swap their whistles for trainers to take part in the event, organised by Run For All, in Burnley on Sunday.

They form part of a Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) team that also includes the organisation’s general manager and former Premier League referee Riley.

Dowd and Jones are Run For All regulars, having taken part in the last four Asda Foundation 10Ks staged by the organisation, part of the lasting legacy of the late Jane Tomlinson CBE who raised almost £2m for charity through a series of endurance challenges, despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Jones said: “We are really looking forward to taking on the 10K in Burnley. Having taken part in previous Run For All events we know there is always a great atmosphere and it’s inspiring to see so many people running for such good causes.”

Thousands of runners of all abilities will transform the streets of Burnley into a carnival of colour.

The attractive route, which passes close to Turf Moor, starts and finishes in the centre of Burnley and takes in three parks – Rowley, Towneley and Thompson.

Those taking on the challenge will raise tens of thousands for the event’s partner charities or other good causes of their own choice. Partner charities this year are Derian House Children’s Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support, Pendleside Hospice, Shine and the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

Along with the Asda Foundation Pennine Lancashire 10K, Run For All’s stable of events includes 10Ks in Leeds, York, Hull and Lincoln, the Leeds Half Marathon and the Yorkshire Half Marathon-Sheffield. Its sister organisation also runs the hugely-popular Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon.

To enter the Asda Foundation Pennine Lancashire 10K and for more information about Run For All events go to www.runforall.com