The VSO (the international development charity) based here in Putney is is seeking runners with a love of London to take part in the fifth annual British 10K race on 3 July 2005.

20,000 runners will take to the streets of London, running past historic and contemporary landmarks, along streets that have been trodden by Londoners for centuries. Unlike other races, the British 10K takes runners right past well known landmarks like St James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall.

VSO sends people to help the poorest countries in the world by sharing their skills to change lives. The money raised will support volunteers who are working in education, health and livelihoods. Entry is just £25 with a minimum sponsorship amount of £100. £100 could provide essential language training for a volunteer in Ethiopia to communicate more effectively with local colleagues.

VSO volunteers in Ethiopia are helping to improve the quality of education by training teachers. In the last year alone VSO volunteers trained 1,363 Ethiopian teacher trainers who, in turn, will train more than 11,000 student teachers. These teachers will go on to teach nearly 800,000 children.