Celebration of the first-ever Air Ambulance NI & City of Derry Airport Runway Run

Runners and walkers completed the 5k in high spirits with great camaraderie, knowing that collectively they were helping to save lives across Northern Ireland by raising vital funds for charity Air Ambulance NI.

The unique 5k running event raised a fantastic £15,000 supporting the life-saving work of Air Ambulance NI, funding the service for over two days and potentially saving the lives of four individuals.

Steve Frazer, Managing Director for City of Derry Airport, said: “We are so proud to be host to this fantastic event for a local cause that means so much to all of the people of Northern Ireland. It was brilliant to have the opportunity to welcome so many of our communities to the airport, and together support the life-saving work of Air Ambulance NI, that anyone could need at any time.”

Area Fundraising Manager for Air Ambulance NI, Katrina Hughes, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled with the success of our first ever 5k Runway Run at City of Derry Airport – it simply would not have been possible without the fantastic support from the airport team and, of course, The City of Derry Spartans who so generously donated their time and expertise to help make the event a success.

“We are also so grateful to Alchemy Tech, who generously sponsored the event, alongside Rocwell Water, Lidl NI and Lynas Food who provided water and snacks for all our participants. It was truly magnificent to see the sea of red Air Ambulance NI running tops running down the airport runway, and we're so humbled by the incredible support from everyone in the local area.”

Registered participants had the chance to win a fantastic flight package or luxury hamper courtesy of CoDA by raising a minimum sponsorship ask of £100. Winners Lisa McGeady and Lisa Houston joined the event team to collect their prizes and celebrate the events achievements on Tuesday, May 20.

Also joining the celebration was local Derry City man Damien Keys, who is a previous patient of the HEMS team and a keen supporter of the NI charity. Damien suffered a severe fall while performing maintenance at a radio tower on Sheriff’s Mountain in Londonderry.

He fell approximately 25 feet and was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he spent significant time in intensive care and received extensive treatment for his injuries.

The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team have been tasked approximately 4,785 times up to March 31, 2025, since becoming operational in July 2017.

Air Ambulance NI relies on the generous support of local businesses, individuals, groups and communities to help raise the £2.5 million needed annually to maintain the lifesaving service. If you would like to find out more about how you can support the service please contact [email protected]