RED RUN raises over £200,000 to combat HIV stigma and support access

On November 22nd, myGwork proudly sponsored the 2025 World AIDS Day RED RUN, hosted by community partner Positive East, in London’s Victoria Park.

This impactful event brought the community together to stand united against HIV stigma and advocate for equitable access to treatment and support for all.

The run successfully raised over £200,000, showcasing the collective strength and dedication of participants and the ongoing support for the community.

Ahead of the 2025 run, myGwork recently sat down with Ian Montgomery, Head of Fundraising and Communications and Hugh Wyld Fundraising Officer at Positive East to learn more about the event, and why it continues to grow year on year.

myGwork: How did you come up with the idea of RED RUN?

Ian Montgomery: Positive East launched the World AIDS Day RED RUN in 2009. At first, it was a smaller event that was just in support of Positive East with around 50 people running a 5k and raising a few thousand pounds. In 2016 we began to build the event to create something that had a wider benefit. We felt strongly that as we were already organising the event, it would only be a good thing to invite other HIV charities to participate as we know that the success of the HIV sector is only possible if it’s a collective one.

Hugh Wyld: I think it’s also worth mentioning that 100% of the event is organised and planned in house (we don’t outsource anything or bring in 3rd party event planners). This keeps its focus purely on the HIV sector. Everything from the labelling of the bag check bags, organising the RED RUN materials, stuffing the goody bags, setting up, and delivering the event on the day is done by Positive East and 120 incredible volunteers.

myGwork: What shall we expect this year?

Ian: Well, after Storm Bert foiled our plans last year, we expect to bring back everything that has come to define the World AIDS Day RED RUN.

Hugh: The RED RUN Village will be back to help create a larger scale platform to mark and celebrate World AIDS Day. Within the village, we’ll display photo reproductions of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt, a small exhibition from the Wellcome Collection of HIV/AIDS public health campaign posters, provide free coffee, create a space for HIV charity tables and, importantly, create an exhibition of our unsung HIV Community Heroes and more!

myGwork: Who are the people behind RED RUN? Can you tell us a bit about your story?

Hugh: As a queer man I have always been connected to the cause and feel a responsibility to keep educating myself, to support people living with HIV and those at risk and to continue to work on breaking down stigma. My background is in the creative arts, mainly as a theatre director and writer, and my work is always socially conscious and touches on aspects of queerness and HIV. I set up a creative writing and performance project – HIV Voices – to create a platform to bring to light on stage stories about HIV, and to use personal storytelling to break down barriers.

Ian: Similar to what Hugh said, as a queer man I too have a deep connection with the cause, and I’ve been involved with the HIV sector in various ways for around 35 years. Around 1987, I became active after a friend of the family had died of AIDS related PCP. This was difficult, and compounding my grief, I was witnessing a relentless political, social and medical assault on the community that I was desperate to identify with. In the mid 90s I got more involved with the Sacramento (CA) AIDS Foundation through their hand-to-hand project and volunteered at their annual AIDS Walk (of which inspires some aspects of the RED RUN).

myGwork: Why is the RED RUN is special to you personally?

Ian : Seeing everyone there in support, memory or in celebration of the community is incredible. I’m also there for my own reasons. I’m not just planning an event, but creating something that I hope Clifford, Peter, Tony, Ken, David (and all those we’ve lost to HIV and all those thriving with HIV today) would be proud and excited to see. That their life matters, and that every year on the weekend before World AIDS Day, thousands come together to celebrate them, their life and love.

Hugh: For me the RED RUN is so special because it’s one of the only times in the year when the sector comes together as a collective whole to stand proud, acknowledge the achievements made over the past year/years, and to honour those lives lost. It’s also a time when we can look ahead to a future of zero transmissions, and an end to HIV stigma. So much has been achieved since the RED RUN started – from a dramatic reduction in new HIV diagnoses, to the UK exceeding our UNAIDS 90-90-90 target, to PrEP being made available on the NHS. But there is still so far to go, and it’s important to have one day in the calendar year where the community can gather, take stock, and look ahead to a bright future.

myGwork: What is the one thing that you want people take after reading this.

Ian: That it’s more than a run! It’s not about beating your personal best, rather being your personal best – showing up and participating in something that is bigger than just one person, or one person’s time to complete a 5k, something that strengthens our community and response to HIV.

Hugh: To echo Ian, my main takeaway is that we need to keep working together as a community to uplift the voices of people living with HIV, to support the wellbeing of people living with HIV, and celebrate lives loved and lost. We can do this on the 22nd November through a show of solidarity and collective participation in something bigger than just our individual selves.