There was a rum gathering of odd looking folk on The Moor in Falmouth yesterday morning as the first ever ZestiFAL Pirate Fun Run was launched.

The event, which is in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care and the RNLI, has been announced as the headline event to kick off Falmouth BID’s new sporting festival, ZestiFAL.

In what will be a first, the two charities will be working together to deliver the event for the festival. The mass participation fun run will start from The Moor on Saturday, July 25, the opening day of the nine day ZestiFAL. The route for the run will follow the same one and three mile courses as the ever popular Falmouth Santa Fun Run.

Online registration opens on Friday, April 17, via www.piratefunrun.co.uk or by calling 01726 66868. Entry is £5 for children and £10 for adults and will include a free pirate costume, with monies raised being split equally between the two charities.

Funded and organised by the Falmouth BID (Business Improvement District), ZestiFAL is set to “transform the town into a hub of energetic and engaging activity” for nine days from July 25 to August 2. It will showcase a whole range of different activities, including scuba, triathlon, climbing, cricket, hockey, martial arts, paddleboarding or skateboarding, with the public invited to have a go. 

The town’s open spaces from The Moor and Events Square, to Kimberley Park and Gyllyngvase Beach, will provide the backdrop for all the fun. Activities will pop up within “zones” around town so there will be Studio and Active Zones on The Moor, a Team Sports Zone on Events Square, a Family Zone for Kimberley Park and a Beach Zone at Gyllyngvase Beach.

Richard Wilcox, Falmouth BID manager, said: “I’m delighted to work alongside Cornwall Hospice Care and the RNLI to celebrate the start of ZestiFAL with such an energetic and inclusive event as the Pirate Fun Run. The run will add colour and laughter to Falmouth’s streets and very much set the tone for the rest of the week.

“ZestiFAL is all about encouraging people to try out new activities so make sure you book your place and help raise money for two great causes at the same time.”

Rose Beattie, fundraising manager for Cornwall Hospice Care, added: “We are really excited to be working alongside the RNLI to organise the ZestiFAL Charity Pirate Fun Run, and are looking forward to kicking off this exciting new festival with a sea of pirates taking to the streets, getting active while raising money for our causes.”

Dave Nicholl, area manager for the RNLI, added: “The RNLI is proud to be one of the nominated charities for ZestiFAL and to be working in conjunction with Cornwall Hospice Care to bring this exciting new nautically themed event to Falmouth. Both of our charities carry out amazing work in Cornwall and we hope as many people as possible will sign up for the Pirate Fun Run to help raise money to support this work.”