Grant Thornton has decided September is too soon for its annual five-kilometre road race to return to the streets.

As was the case in 2020, the charity fundraiser will operate on a virtual basis,

The 2021 GT5K, whick took place in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast pre-Covid, is open to individuals and to teams of four. Participants will be invited to complete the 5K at any time on September 8 and upload their time to a live leader board by midnight the same day.

This year’s race ambassador is Olympian Derval O’Rourke (pictured) who will be joined by a ‘social squad’ of  regional ambassadors to encourage teams around the country to get up and get active. 

O’Rourke said: “During these Covid months so many people have benefited both physically and mentally from walking, running, or cycling five kilometres. Myself? I fell back in love with running, and I am looking forward to running this 5K on September 8.”

In Association with

The event will support the top emerging young athletes in Ireland through the Athletics Ireland Junior high-performance programme, and Grant Thornton also partners with the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland to raise funds for the charity.

Managing partner Michael McAteer said: “The GT5K is a hallmark of the Grant Thornton commitment to supporting a healthy workplace, and is something we encourage all businesses to prioritise.

“We’re inviting all our employees, clients, corporate teams and their families, clubs and teams to lace up the trainers and get active over the summer.  This will benefit not only their own wellbeing but also support the Alzheimer’s Society and the Athletics Ireland junior athletics programme.”

Participants can register for the race here.  The entry fee per person is €10, and €40 for a team. All participants will receive a GT5K t-shirt.