Founded in 2014, the 4K 4Charity Fun Run Series is a 2.49-mile running and walking event held annually in Las Vegas (NAB Show and AWS re:Invent), Amsterdam (IBC Show), Los Angeles (SMPTE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition) and Portland, Oregon to raise awareness and financial support for global and local non-profits that support increased diversity and inclusion initiatives in the media and entertainment and tech industries.

This year’s event, hosted as ever by AWS Elemental attracted a record 23 sponsors, namely Dolby, Google, Microsoft, Vidispine, Interra Systems, Verimatrix, Comcast Technology Solutions, Crafter Software, Irdeto, M2AMedia, Wall Street Communications, Zixi, Bitmovin, Devoncroft, EditShare, FEED, Harmonic, Masstech, Raz PR and Sports Video Group Europe. There was also support from BT and BT Sports as well as the IBC Show 2019 itself.

The event attracted overall proceeds of $86,292 which will go to benefit Iridescent, a global education non-profit that empowers underrepresented young people to become innovators and leaders through engineering and technology. Through its two programmes, Curiosity Machine AI Family Challenge and Technovation, Iridescent introduces underserved communities to new technologies and empowers and equips them to apply those technologies to solve the real-world problems they face. $53,042.00 was raised for Technovation.

There was a total of 631 4K 4Charity registrants/supporters representing over 225 companies. Also taking part were Arsenal, Manchester United and Netherlands national team footballer Robin van Persie and a late entrant in the form a goat who escaped from the local zoo just after Rapid TV News ran past the animal whilst still in its pen. Not considering the four legged competitor, first male finisher was Will Pitt of Imagen and IBC’s Elizabeth Cameron was the first female finisher.