Lace Up To Be Part of Something Big!

·         The 43^rd  event takes place on Sunday 1^st June, in Dublin City Centre on the June Bank Holiday weekend

·         A Vhi survey on women’s walking and running habits finds:

• 82% of women find running or walking helps them manage and combat menstrual symptoms
• 75% of women participate in walking or running to improve their physical health
• 66% of women experiencing perimenopause or menopause report that exercise helps alleviate their symptoms

Register now:  www.vhiwomensminimarathon.ie

4^th March 2025: The 2025 Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon, the largest all-female event of its kind in the world, is now officially open for registration. A group of inspiring Irish women came together today in Dublin to officially launch the 2025 Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon. The 10km event, now in its 43^rd year, will take place on Sunday June 1^st at 12:30pm. Over 28,000 women are expected to participate this year and the event is open to all those who wish to walk, jog or run the 10km route through Dublin City Centre. 

Broadcaster and presenter Katja Mia, businesswoman Aimee Connolly,  health and fitness coach Nathalie Lennon and content creator Clóda Scanlon are Vhi ambassadors for this year’s event. They are encouraging women of all fitness abilities across the country  to join them on the 1^st June for what promises to be an inspiring and uplifting day and be part of something big!   

Vhi are long standing title sponsors of this incredible event, continuing to champion the importance of women’s health, fitness and overall well-being through this partnership. To mark the launch of this year’s Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon, Vhi commissioned research with 500 female runners to highlight the powerful impact that running and walking habits can have on women’s physical and mental well-being. The key findings reveal:

·         75% of women walk or run to improve their physical health

·         69% cite mental health benefits as a primary motivator to run

·         74% of women report that running boosts their overall mood

·         59% say running helps them sleep better

·         55% say running helps manage stress

Further insights show that

·         82% of women find running or walking helps them manage and combat menstrual symptoms

·         66% of women experiencing perimenopause or menopause report that exercise helps alleviate their symptoms.

·         38% of women who have given birth found running or walking helped significantly with postnatal recovery

·         More than half believe that signing up for a mass participation event like the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon would help them stay motivated in achieving their fitness goals

These statistics show  the critical role that movement plays in women’s overall health. Between now and June 1st, participants can access training plans ranging from walkers, joggers to runners along with healthy and nutritious recipes developed by Vhi ambassador Nathalie Lennon by visiting vhiwomensminimarathon.ie or following @VhiWMM on all social platforms.

Participants can also access certified training and health tips from Vhi health experts on Vhi Verified at vhi.ie/blog.

You can follow all of the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon ambassadors on their 12-week journey to Race Day on June 1^st via their social media channels below:

·         Katja Mia - @katja_miaa

·         Aimee Connolly - @aimeeconnolly_com

·         Nathalie Lennon - @nathalielennon_

·         Clóda Scanlon - @clodascanlon

Registration for the event is now open on www.vhiwomensminimarathon.ie. Every participant will receive a Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon finishers medal, and can opt in at registration to receive a Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon t-shirt. Register now and don’t miss out!

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain: “The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is a truly iconic event that brings incredible energy and vibrancy to the streets of Dublin every year. It’s a celebration of community, determination, and the power of women coming together to achieve something remarkable. I am delighted to support this year’s theme, ‘Championing Womankind,’ and look forward to seeing Dublin come alive with sisterhood and energy on event day.”

David O'Leary, General Manager of the Women's Mini Marathon: “The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is an iconic event with an incredible 43-year legacy of empowering and inspiring women across Ireland. Our partnership with Vhi has been exceptional in helping us create an experience that is not only about personal achievement but also about having fun and celebrating together. This year’s theme, ‘Championing Womankind,’ is about honouring every woman’s journey - from elite athletes to those taking on the challenge for the first time. It’s a day of fun, community, celebration, shared accomplishment, and making a difference. We can’t wait to see women championing each other on June 1st.”

Brighid Smyth, Head of Corporate Communications in Vhi: ‘Vhi have partnered with the Women’s Mini Marathon for 11 years now and we are committed  to promoting women’s health and well-being. The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is more than  a race; it’s for every woman and it’s a movement that brings women together in support of each other and their communities. It has been fantastic to see so many young women in particular taking part in recent years and making health and wellness a priority in their lives. Our latest research confirms that participating not only improves fitness but it’s really motivational and improves your overall physical and mental wellbeing.”

Katja Mia, broadcaster and Vhi ambassador said, ‘I’m so proud to be a Vhi ambassador again for Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon 2025. The atmosphere last year was incredible and this event is about more than just running—it’s about community, strength, and supporting one another. It's exciting to be part of a brilliant group of ambassadors for this year’s event. We’ll all be sharing our 12-week journey to race day and hopefully providing some inspiration and motivation along the way.  Whether you're walking, jogging, or running, every step makes a difference. I encourage everyone to get involved and experience the amazing atmosphere on the day!”

ENDS

About Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon

The Vhi Women's Mini Marathon is now in its 43^rd year. The first Women’s Mini Marathon began in Dublin in 1983 with 9,000 entrants, it has grown in popularity and the event now hosts over 25,000 women on the June bank holiday weekend. Women from across the 32 counties of Ireland, U.K. and Europe take part each year to raise vital funds for their chosen charities and causes. 

The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is a world-class sporting event and is dedicated to helping women across Ireland to achieve their fitness goals. The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon has become an important part of Irish culture and a celebration for Irish women aged 14 and over. The event caters for women who wish to walk or jog for fun while also catering for competitive runners. It is not only women who have benefited from the event, but charities are also the big winners.  The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is the single biggest charity fundraising event in Ireland. An estimated €226m has been raised for charity since its beginning in 1983. All charities benefit as it is the women themselves who decide who they will support, and many local causes gain vital revenue from the event. 

In 2024 Vhi has seen a 12.5% increase in private hospital claims costs compared to 2023.

30^th January 2025 - Vhi today announced an average price increase of 3% across its health insurance plans effective from the 1^st March 2025. The adjustment is necessary due to the sustained rise in the number of people accessing healthcare and the associated costs of delivering this. In 2024, there was a 12.5% increase in private hospital claims costs compared to 2023.

Healthcare costs continue to rise as more people are accessing essential healthcare services. The cost of delivering these services has also risen, driven by increased costs in private hospitals, associated healthcare professional costs and the increasing costs of day-to-day care. This trend is not unique to Vhi and health insurers here and abroad are facing similar challenges. The availability of new drugs, technologies and procedures, while contributing to medical inflation, are crucial as they save and extend lives.

Commenting on the price changes Mr Aaron Keogh, Managing Director, Vhi Insurance said “we understand that our members are experiencing cost of living pressures, and we have made every effort to keep the price increase as low as possible without compromising on benefits or increasing excesses. We have also maintained 25% off child rates on a range of our plans. Our members value their health insurance, and we are committed to providing them with more value and even better support to help them manage their health and wellbeing.”

He continued “Vhi members today have more access to healthcare, not only in traditional hospital settings but through new services, many of which are online offering diverse and convenient healthcare options. We are also investing more in health and wellbeing and in preventative health programmes. In 2024 Vhi delivered over 500,000 healthcare interactions to our members giving them access to a wide variety of services delivered through our own Vhi 360 health centres including urgent care, planned care such as paediatrics, dermatology, radiology and physiotherapy and access to a new women’s health service.”

Vhi is the only provider in the market that exists solely for the benefit of our members. Any profits made are reinvested on behalf of our members to enhance Vhi members healthcare and services.

ENDS

Issued by:

Brighid Smyth / Niamh Walker                               

Vhi Group Services DAC                    

M: 086 8270905 / 086 608 6764

E: Brighid.smyth@vhi.ie / Niamh.walker@vhi.ie

Examples of Price Changes

• With around 9% of the population registered for parkrun, Ireland has the greatest penetration of parkrunners in the world
• parkrunners will have the chance to meet parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt and Olympian and Vhi ambassador David Gillick at Marlay parkrun on the 1^st February at 9:30 a.m.
• Vhi has been presenting partner of parkrun in Ireland since 2016
• The number of parkruns in Ireland has grown from 46 in 2016 to over 150 currently

21^st January 2025: The parkrun community will have the opportunity to meet parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt, along with Olympian and Vhi ambassador David Gillick on Saturday 1^st February at 9:30 a.m. at Marlay parkrun. This event celebrates parkrun’s long-standing partnership with Vhi in Ireland.

Sinton-Hewitt began parkrun in 2004 as a time trial between a small group of friends in Bushy park London. It has since grown into a global phenomenon, with more than ten million registered parkrunners and events taking place in over 2,600 communities worldwide every weekend. parkrun has been in Ireland since 2012, and having begun with one event in Malahide, 9% of the Irish population are now registered for parkrun, the highest percentage of parkrunners in any country in the world.

Vhi became the presenting partner of parkrun Ireland in 2016 and since then the number of events has grown substantially, from 46 locations to over 150 nationwide. The popularity of parkrun continues to grow in Ireland with more people attending events than ever before in 2024:

• The number of finishes at 5km parkruns exceeded 500,000 for the first time
• There were almost 100,000 finishes at 2km junior parkruns
• There were over 100,000 instances of volunteering

Brighid Smyth, Head of Corporate Communications, Vhi said: “We are very proud of our long-running partnership with parkrun in Ireland and it’s very exciting to be able to mark the partnership by bringing parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt to Marlay parkrun on Saturday 1^st February.

“Our purpose at Vhi is to help our members live longer, stronger, healthier lives. We don’t only support our members during illness, we also proactively encourage them to look after their health and wellbeing, and our partnership with parkrun is a brilliant way to do this.

“We work closely with parkrun on ways to support and grow the parkrun community, including through campaigns that promote the positive impact of parkrun on participants and raise awareness of important issues such as mental health and sun safety”.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, parkrun founder said: “It’s a pleasure to be back in Ireland visiting Marlay parkrun on the 1st of February to celebrate Vhi’s partnership with parkrun. I was at the very first parkrun event in Ireland in Malahide in 2012 and it’s been wonderful to see the growth of parkrun in Ireland in the years since.

“Our mission at parkrun is ‘to transform health and happiness by empowering people to come together, to be active, social and outdoors’. Our partnership with Vhi has allowed us to do just that in Ireland and has been a major factor in the continued growth of parkrun here.”

Vhi ambassador David Gillick said “I’m a huge advocate of parkrun and the mental and physical health benefits it can offer. I’m really looking forward to joining founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt at Marlay parkrun on Saturday February 1^st. I’m sure there will be a huge turnout from the parkrun community on the day to give Paul a big Irish welcome! If you can’t make it to Marlay, then why not head along to your local event?”

For more information about parkrun, and to register for a parkrun near you visit www.parkrun.ie. New registrants should select their chosen event as their home location. You will then receive a personal barcode which acts as your free entry to any parkrun event worldwide.

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

About Vhi

• Vhi is Ireland’s leading health insurer and have been presenting partners with parkrun since 2016
• Vhi has a long history of supporting activities that promote healthy lifestyles, particularly in the area of participative running
• Vhi also sponsors the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon
• Vhi purpose is to help people live longer, stronger, healthier lives and they want to support people nationwide to lace up their runners and get active.
• www.Vhi.ie / www.facebook.com/vhihealthcare / @Vhi_ie

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