Run for Girls! 2024 Free Girls from Child Marriage
A heartfelt thank you to every one of you!
Due to the overwhelming response of the Plan International x COSMOPOLITAN’s “Run For Girls! 2024, the registration quota is full.
We look forward to seeing you again next year!
According to a UN survey, though the child marriage problem has been gradually improving with the joint efforts of various parties, it is still a pressing issue in this modern era – more than 640 million married women were victims of child marriage, and a girl falls into child marriage every three seconds. In recent years, due to conflicts, natural disasters, the impact of the pandemic etc., many families in developing countries have been living in great hardship. The male-dominated culture has further compelled parents to marry off their daughters as a means to alleviate economic burdens. When girls are chained by child marriage at the beginning of their lives, and deprived of their childhood and educational opportunities, how can they live their lives to the fullest?
This year, Plan International once again joins hands with Cosmopolitan to organise the “Run for Girls! 2024” to raise funds for our anti-child marriage projects in Bangladesh. You can help free girls from child marriage by stepping out and taking part in the run! With one more runner joining the 10.11km, 3km or 1km run, one more Bangladeshi girl could be rescued from child marriage, and empowered to pursue their dreams!
Date: 13 April, 2024 (Saturday)
Venue: Charles K Kao Auditorium (Golden Egg), Hong Kong Science Park
Time: 8am – 1pm (Kick off ceremony at 9:30am)
Enrolment: 1 February to 17 March, 2024 (Limited quota on a first come first served basis)
Enrol now, free girls from child marriage!
Route
Run category
You are welcome to “Run for Girls” or be the “Men for Change”. In addition, young generations are encouraged to compete in the new “Student Group” 3km run. Let’s get our Gen Z Power united and put an end to child marriage!
| Public Run – 10.11km (Individual) | Public Run – 3km (Individual) (Bestie Group) (Student Group) | Family Run – 1km Fun Run | Corporate Cup – 3km Group Run | |
| Age | 18 – 29 years old (Youth) 30 – 44 years old (Senior 1) 45+ years old (Senior 2) |
Individual and Bestie Group: 18 years old or above
Student Group: 18 – 23 years old |
Adult: 18 years old or above
Child: 3 – 17 years old |
18 years old or above |
| Gender | Male & female group per each age category | Individual and Bestie group: Female only
Student Group: Male and female |
— | — |
| Start time | 8:15 am (100 mins) | 10:15 am (60 mins) | 11:45 am (45 mins) | 10:15 am (60 mins) |
| Rules | Ranking based on the Organiser’s official timing | Individual: Ranking based on the Organiser’s official timing
Bestie Group: Team competition. 2 – 4 female runners per team. Ranking is based on the total timing of the first 2 runners.
Student Group: Team competition. 2 – 4 tertiary students aged 18 – 23 per team. Gender is not limited. Ranking is based on the total timing of the first 2 runners. |
At least 1 adult accompanying 1 child to participate. Max 2 adults and 10 children in one group. | Team competition. Ranking is based on the total timing of the first 3 runners. |
| Awards | Champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up of each age category | Champion, 1st runner-up, 2nd runner-up of each group;
Most Liked Award for the Student Group |
No ranking or awards | Champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up;
Corporate Highest Fundraising Award; Corporate Highest Participation Award |
| Enrolment fee | HK$350
(You can enjoy a discounted price of HK$280 if you enrol 10.11km individual run through running club with 10 runners or above. Please contact Plan Hong Kong for more details (3405 5305 / [email protected])) |
Individual and Bestie Group: HK350
Student Group: HK$280 |
Adult: HK$$350
Child: HK$280 |
By Invitation Only. Please contact Plan Hong Kong for more details (3405 5305 / [email protected])) |
Click here for more event details.
Check out the FAQ and important notes.
Donation
Runners are encouraged to make a donation in addition to the enrolment fee, helping us to sustain our anti-child marriage projects in Bangladesh. Your generosity can provide scholarships for underprivileged girls in Bangladesh, allowing them to continue their education and rewrite their future through knowledge. Proceeds will also be used to promote gender education and advocacy work, raising awareness among parents and community members about the harm caused by child marriage. If you are not available to join the run, you are welcome to support the event through online donations.
• Donate HK$350: Provide 1 girl with a four-month scholarship to help her receive education and prevent a girl from becoming a child bride.
• Donate HK$700: Provide 2 girls with a four-month scholarship to help them receive education and prevent girls from becoming child brides.
• Donate HK$1,200: Provide 1 girl with a six-month scholarship and arrange 4 parenting sessions for 24 parents to learn about the detrimental impacts of child marriage, to help girls continue their education and prevent them from becoming child brides.
• Donate HK$3,000: Provide 2 girls with a one-year scholarship and arrange 5 parenting sessions for 30 parents to learn about the detrimental impacts of child marriage, to help girls continue their education and prevent them from becoming child brides.
From now to 30th April, contribute a single donation of HK$2,000 or more to the GIRLS FUND ONE-OFF DONATION, qualifies for an exclusive gift set from SABON in the realm of personal care. (HK$1,000 in value. Limited to 30 sets, allocations will be based on a first-come-first-served basis)
Volunteer ambassadors
Runner’s Gifts worth up to $1,780
Runner’s pack collection notice will be sent to participants’ email prior to the event.
After the Run, participants will be awarded with a series of sponsored gifts with Run for Girls Finisher Medal, Bestie Group and Student Group will be awarded with a “Hand in Hand” Commemorative Medal (1pc) .
Awards and Prizes
All run categories include prizes for the champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up
• Female and male 10.11km individual run (various age categories)
• Female 3km individual run
• Bestie 3km group run
• Student 3km group run
Winners will be awarded with a trophy/medal and the following prizes:
Runners in the student group can also compete for the “Most Liked Award” by uploading on-site photos to Instagram, sharing their running experience, with their team’s name and hashtag #R4G2024GENZPOWER included in the caption. The team with the highest number of likes on 19th April at 12:00nn will be awarded prizes as follows:
Corporate Cup (Winning corporates will receive a trophy)
• Corporate 3km group run – champion, 1st runner up, 2nd runner up
• Corporate Top Fundraising Award
• Corporate Most Participants Award
Online enrolment
Enrol now, free girls from child marriage!
The Vicious Circle of Child Marriage Tears a Family Apart
A 15-year-old girl is in the bloom of her youth and should be hopeful and excited about what lies ahead. But Tania from Bangladesh never takes her school life for granted. Tania’s mother and two older sisters were victims of child marriage. Due to poverty, they were forced to drop out of school, get married, and give birth at the young ages of 13 or 14, before their minds and bodies were fully developed. Since then, their lives have been dominated by endless domestic chores. The early pregnancies not only deteriorated their health but also imposed a heavy burden, as they have to take care of their children and fulfil the needs of both their households and their husbands’ families. They burst into tears when they talked about the struggles they experienced. They hope that Tania will not become a child bride like them and that she can continue to study, pursue her dreams, and break free from the circle of poverty and child marriage.
However, as Tania’s father’s health condition worsens, the family faces financial hardship once again, jeopardising Tania’s education and increasing the risk of her being married off. Fortunately, Plan International has provided scholarships to girls facing the threat of child marriage like Tania to temporarily alleviate their family’s economic burden, and is committed to raising awareness among the girls, their parents, and community members about the harms of child marriage, allowing more girls to receive education and alternate their destiny through knowledge.
Sponsors
Use of “Run for Girls” 2023’s donation
Donations collected from “Run for Girls! 2024” have been used to support our anti-child marriage projects in Bangladesh, which helped girls learn about their rights at school. In addition, scholarships, learning necessities and vocational training have been provided to empower girls with knowledge, helping them to break the intergeneration cycle of child marriage.
Enquiry
Tel: (852) 3405 5305
Email: [email protected]
