More women are running than ever before and, to mark the boom, this year’s Vitality London 10,000 – which has been a trailblazing event in championing female participation – will reunite some of the women who have spearheaded the revolution.
On Sunday 28 September, Bryony Gordon and Helen Thorn will return to the Vitality London 10,000 to mark the famous 2019 Celebrate You campaign six years after it made such an impression.
The inspirational campaign, which saw hundreds of women celebrate body positivity, activity and inclusion by running in their underwear, led to a record 19,563 finishers in the 2019 Vitality London 10,000, of which 9,852 were female – the first time ever more women had finished the event than men.
Since then, female participation in running has surged. Data released by Sport England in April 2025 showed 250,000 more women are running in 2025 compared to last year while a record 430,983 women entered the 2026 TCS London Marathon Ballot (49.55% of the total of applicants).
To celebrate the increase in the number of women running, journalist and author Gordon and comedian Thorn are getting the Celebrate You gang back together to inspire even more women to pull on their running trainers and join them. With entries still open, the Celebrate You Wave has already gathered more than 1,100 sign-ups to date. You can register for the Vitality London 10,000 on Let's Do This.
Monday 21 July marks 10 weeks until the 2025 Vitality London 10,000 and participants can use the free Run Happy & Healthy 10 Weeks to 10K Training Plan to prepare for the event. The plan is suitable for everyone – from first-timers to experienced runners – and features dedicated coaching videos from 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. The programme will be rolled out on Vitality’s YouTube channel from Monday 21 July. There is also a Run Happy & Healthy Wheelchair Training plan.
Bryony Gordon, creator of the Celebrate You Wave in 2019, said: “It is hard to believe it has been six years since Celebrate You first brought together an incredible group of women, all of whom wanted to celebrate their bodies and their love of activity. Seeing the number of female runners grow every year brings a huge smile to my face – running is for everyone, and I see women of all shapes and sizes in their running shoes every day. I would love as many of them as possible to take part with us in the 2025 Vitality London 10,000 – whether they want to run in their pants or not!”
To further promote women taking up exercise, Vitality London 10,000 organiser, London Marathon Events, has partnered with The Greenstreet Collective, a group that inspires women to be active, for this year’s event. As part of the initiative, 50 women will be taking part in their first 10K, receiving coaching and guidance through Coopah, the Run Coaching App, and their journey will be documented.
Steph Greenstreet, co-founder of The Greenstreet Collective, said: “We started The Greenstreet Collective to help women feel like they belong in all fitness spaces, no matter what they look like or how they present. We have almost 5,000 members since launching two years ago, and we are so proud of these women who have been brave enough to kickstart their running journey with us. Taking on the Vitality London 10,000 marks a massive step for them and we are so excited they will be able to experience the pride of crossing the most iconic of Finish Lines.”
Headline partner, Vitality, is also encouraging more women to train and take part together, recognising how often women do exercise alone, and highlighting the benefits that come from being active together. To support the campaign, Vitality has issued 200 places, on a buy-one-get-one-free basis, to support more women to be active with a friend or family member.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “The Vitality London 10,000 is a fantastic event that takes in the sights of London, and it is great to see so many women of all ages and running abilities get involved and take part.
“As someone who frequently exercises or runs with friends or in groups, I see firsthand what the benefits of doing exercise with someone else brings. This is why I am backing Vitality’s campaign to get more women to do the 10K with a friend or family member and encouraging people to try my 10 Weeks to 10K Training Plan together with their own friend and get event ready together.”
Elaine Rayner, Event Lead for the Vitality London 10,000, said: “The Celebrate You campaign in 2019 was a pioneer in championing women and showing running can be for everyone. Since then, huge progress has been made, as the Sport England participation numbers show, but there is still much work to be done which is why we want to give opportunities to groups such as The Greenstreet Collective and are welcoming back some of the inspiring members of the 2019 Celebrate You campaign. The Vitality London 10,000 is about belonging, growth, and celebrating every step of the journey and if you are looking for your first mass participation event, then this is the perfect event for you.”