Cork’s Sanctuary Runners win top global award for refugee integration through sport

Cork’s Sanctuary Runners were named the world’s best community sports initiative for refugee integration at the ISCA Awards in Denmark

Graham Clifford, founder and head of international development at Sanctuary Runners, collects the award from Stephen Reynard, Global Lead of sport programming at UNHCR at the ISCA Awards, 2025 in Copenhagen.

A Cork-based organisation has won a major international award in Denmark for its solidarity-through-sport initiative.

Sanctuary Runners, founded in 2018 by former journalist Graham Clifford, received the top honour at the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA) Awards in Copenhagen — the world’s leading event celebrating sport for social impact.