Neighbours are being encouraged to run the length of the River Thames to raise money for charity.

Anyone from walkers to first time joggers to seasoned marathon runners from Thames ward are being challenged to collectively run 346km in their neighbourhood.

If they hit the goal housing scheme Barking Riverside London will donate to the charity Sporting Equals.

Varsha Patel, events manager for Barking Riverside, said: “We are delighted to be launching the Barking Riverside Virtual Run.

“There is an appetite for fitness amongst many of our community groups already and we are hoping the run will give residents an opportunity to get active, discover more of their area and come together for a good cause.

“If we achieve our goal of running the length of the River Thames, it will be something that all people can be proud of.”

The Virtual Run is open to anyone of all ages and abilities who lives, works or goes to school in Thames View or Barking Riverside.

Runners or walkers can upload their distances onto an online portal so they can be added to a collective total.

At the end of the challenge, everyone taking part will receive a medal. Prizes will also be awarded for a range of categories from fastest running pace to best running selfie.

If people run the full 346km by 5pm on October 24, Barking Riverside will donate to Sporting Equals, a national charity dedicated to promoting ethnic diversity in sport.

The charity already has a project in Barking and Dagenham called The Breaking Boundaries programme which aims to encourage relationships between people of different backgrounds through sport.

Barry Hopkins, Sporting Events UK director, said: “We are delighted to have teamed up with Barking Riverside to get the community active.

“We strongly believe in individuals having a healthy lifestyle and the benefits this brings physically and for mental health too.

“We are sure the community will enjoy working together to achieve the collective goal of walking or running the length of the Thames and we are looking forward to seeing the results.”

For more or to sign up for free, visit entries.sportingeventsuk.com/e/barking-riverside-virtual-run-3120