MORE than 750 people participated in the London Interfaith Fun Run on Bank Holiday Monday, raising money for an array of charitable causes.

The event, which is in its second year, was organised by the Faith and Belief Forum and Maccabi GB, and supported by the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London’s Council on Faith.

Participants tackled courses of one, five, or ten kilometres in the StoneX Stadium in Barnet, north London. Alongside the athletic challenges there was a charity fair, food stalls representing different cultural cuisines, and opportunities for interfaith encounters and prayer.

Among the performers on the day were dancers from the refugee group New Citizens Gateway, who performed Afghan, Kurdish, Iranian, and Arabic dances, and a jive band.

The director of the Faith and Belief Forum, Phil Champain, said that the event demonstrated “the amazing variety of communities that make London the great city it is.

“It was fantastic to see eight-year-olds and 80-year-olds running alongside one another, and everyone dancing together to music that ranged from jive to Farsi pop. Events like the fun run are a reminder that our society works best when people of all backgrounds, cultures and beliefs are united.”

Sherifat Kamal, who ran to raise money for Faiths Women Community UK, said: “An interfaith fun run is unusual, but anything that creates community cohesion is excellent to me. London is a city of diverse cultures and ethnicities, and anything that brings us together to celebrate this makes me feel good.”