On 27 September 2026, a group of Green Runners flew around the borough of Ealing to protest against the Ealing Half Marathon’s choice of sponsor, the polluting Wizz Air. Their action was part of our campaign calling on running event organisers whose races are sponsored by Wizz Air to ditch the airline at the next opportunity and to sign the Cool Down Network’s Fossil Free Declaration. There’s no place for sportswashing in running. You can sign our petition here:
Petition · Drop Polluting Sponsors – Stop taking the Whizz – United Kingdom · Change.org
Sarah Lewington picks up the story…
Checking In
Like many running events, the Ealing Half is on a Sunday, making travel by public transport more of a challenge. My phone was already pinging with messages from those stuck on trains, with engineering works adding to the reduced Sunday service. I was lucky though and had plenty of time to avoid the check-in queues. Airport-related signs were everywhere. It was hard to tell whether it was a running race or an airline marketing event. A huge video screen promoted short haul flights, airport related signage was everywhere and the “free” T-shirts pushed the sponsor’s branding. I wonder how many T-shirts will end up in landfill or stuck at the bottom of drawers never to be worn?
After a bit of a rush for those stuck on trains, our team gathered by the start line. It was my first in-real-life glimpse of our biplane costume. What a work of art by Suzanne Hopcroft and her family! A feat of (cardboard) engineering that would prove to be key in attracting attention throughout the day. With Anna Hughes (Green Runner and Director of Flight Free UK) piloting the plane, we had our obligatory team photo before joining the queue for the start towards the back of the field.
Inflight entertainment
It’s a hillier course than I’d expected, but that meant we were treated with some fantastic views, as well as some lovely fast descents to fly down. The plane was getting all the cheers throughout the run. There would often be a short pause as the message on the wings sunk in, before renewed cheers of agreement. We chatted with fellow runners about why we were protesting and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Running a half marathon wasn’t going to stop us from speaking out.
Every 2.5miles we had a change of pilots. Although there was a little bounce, the plane was surprisingly easy to navigate. Being made of cardboard, it was light, not to mention sustainable. My turn piloting came towards the end and passed surprisingly quickly.
Oily Refreshments
Running a half marathon requires appropriate fuelling, so we were pleased that Katy Tallon had concocted some especially black and oily refreshments. Anyone for prune juice and black treacle?
A Safe Landing
With David piloting the plane on the final straight, we got into formation for the finish line (while making sure there was room for fellow runners to share the finish line). We drew the attention of the announcer, who gave us a chance to shout out The Green Runners, Flight Free UK and Badvertising, before pulling the microphone away before we could mention our problem with the polluting race sponsor.
Time for a whizz
After the race, there was time for a few more photos, including the obligatory “taking a (virtual) whizz” photo against the Wizz Air sign (had they set it up especially for us?).
It took a bit of time to hunt down the race organiser, but we eventually found Will, CEO of Race Nation, so we could hand over the open letter from The Green Runners, Flight Free UK and Badvertising. After we explained our concerns about the race sponsor, he graciously accepted our letter and wished us well.
Speaking Out
My pledge when joining The Green Runners was #HowWeSpeakOut. As much as my personal actions matter, far more can be achieved if we stand up for broader change. This is the first action I’ve joined, the first of many. It felt like a really positive day. How can you not have fun while pretending to be an aeroplane?
Paul Crowney adds:
“I get so much joy from running and try not to take it for granted. The same can be said for our planet. It was such a positive experience to combine both thoughts and take part in my first Green Runners action. I don’t usually take notice of pre-race nerves, but pinning the campaign posters to our vests and helping the initial TGR member into the cardboard plane – while being looked upon by numerous curious runners and officials – did make me sweat earlier than normal in a run.
“But as soon as we started, those nerves vanished, thanks to the wonderful TGR team – both runners and support – and the amazing positive feedback we received from other participants.
“It was such a successful day for the Green Runners and myself. I encourage others to join in, too. Many spectators shouted at us as we ran by: “You’re flying!” We certainly were – and all without the carbon emission.”
Inspired by our pilots? Keep an eye on your emails for our next campaign coming soon!!
Save Walpole Park
The event start/finish was located in Walpole Park, a green oasis in a concrete jungle. During the run we met a group campaigning to stop a plan to build a huge events structure in the middle of the park, removing a large amount of the green space. They were very supportive of our message about the race sponsor, so if you live in Ealing please do check out their petition and Instagram account (@savewalpole)!
Wizz Air Campaign Crew
This campaign has been a real team effort. Thank you to everyone involved:
Campaign lead: Martin Elcoate
Runners: Paul Crowney, Anna Hughes, David Starley, Sarah Lewington, Steve Sheppard
Support crew: Katy Tallon, Suzanne Hopcroft & family
Aircraft design and build: Suzanne Hopcroft & family
Race logistics and Wizz Air blog author: Katy Tallon
Social media: Paola Handley, Kev Bowen, Martin Elcoate
We are also indebted to our friends at Badvertising for their support. In particular Liam Killeen who has produced a lot of the social media assets, race bibs etc and Talia Woodin, who filmed the event.
We are also very grateful to be Flight Free UK, and in particular Anna Hughes, for their support before, during and after the event.
Read more about our campaign here:
Wizz Air: The Wrong Running Partner – The Green Runners CIC
Sportswashing: Drop polluting sponsors – The Green Runners CIC