Records broken again at the annual ‘Darkness Into Light’ charity walk

The route for the 2025 walk and run again started at Sainsbury’s car park on the Strand Road, along the quay and then crossed Craigavon Bridge before making its way back across the Peace Bridge and finishing back at Sainsbury’s.

Edelle O’Donnell, with the help of Sadie O’Reilly and Leanne Doherty-Mulberry (HURT) cut the ribbon to officially start this year’s Walk/Run, and then followed a mass of yellow T-shirts walking along the quayside.

Families, companies, schools, local small businesses and community groups had their representatives all out in force in the early morning, some running, others walking, others taking in the dawn sights with their mobile phones, as they sauntered along the picturesque River Foyle.

Amazed once again to see such a crowd turn up, Sadie O’Reilly, HURT founder, speaking before the start of Saturday’s event, said: "In the present climate of cuts and as an addiction charity every penny of what is raised today is needed to help support families and those in need in both Derry and Strabane and the surrounding rural areas.”

The local charity HURT is a unique drop-in centre offering holistic approaches to addiction recovery and family support. The team of trained addiction counsellors and staff are able to advise on all aspects of addiction and treatment possibilities.

Sadie added: "We offer clients up to 10 weeks of counselling, 3 complementary therapies and auricular acupuncture seeds. We are also trying to grow this continually despite the present economic climate.”

Event organiser, HURT’s Leanne Doherty-Mulberry also paid tribute to the record numbers, emphasising: "A massive thank you to everyone for their support once again. The people of this city and district never fail to impress us at HURT with their generous and continued support.

"Thank you all who supported us this year including all the local businesses who never let us down. Without them this event would not be possible.”