As previously reported on ALBOS, Stone runner Chris Salmon, 28, a stock and systems analyst at Wincanton’s National Distribution Centre for Screwfix, is undertaking an incredible challenge which he’s dubbed ‘STING’s Lucky 13’.
He’s running 13 half-marathons in 13 weeks in a target of under 1300 minutes for local charity STING – Staffordshire’s Therapeutic Independent Neurological Group.
STING, based on the Whitebridge industrial park in Stone, is Charity of the Year at Wincanton’s National Distribution Centre for Screwfix, and Chris is hoping to raise £5000 for the charity from his ordeal. STING works to support anybody in the area with a neurological condition, which includes multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and many other conditions. The group operates from Unit 22b on the estate.
Chris completed the first five of his planned 13 half marathons with a satisfying run at his home event in Stafford on March 20th. This was in contrast to several previous painful, not to mention energy-sapping runs around the country.
Having already competed in Blackpool, Coventry, Wrexham and Silverstone before the Stafford event, Chris’s next scheduled runs were:
River Thames Spring Half Marathon, Monday 28th March
Things started off quite badly for Chris, with the fire alarm at his hotel going off twice during the night resulting in a pretty poor night’s sleep! Not helped by horrendous weather throughout the night with the rain and wind battering the windows – hardly ideal preparations for the gruelling event ahead.
The race was due to start at 8.30, but was delayed as a result of the inclement conditions until 8.50. The wind and rain persisted from the start, and 70% of the run was along muddy towpaths. The wind had also blown debris in the form of trees and branches over the paths, leading to some questionable footing.
Despite passing some famous London landmarks along the route, such as Hampton Court, this was a very drab, miserable and exhausting event, though Chris still managed to bring it home in 1 hour 45 minutes.
Warwick Half Marathon, Sunday 3rd April
Warwick started out quite well for Chris. The event was efficiently organised, with an impressive location and enthusiastic crowd. However, unfortunately, after 5 miles injury struck, leading to a downhill spiral for the run. Chris was forced to stop 4 times to stretch and ease his legs due to pains in his right hip, knee, shin and foot, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a steady pace. Chris battled on despite his injuries and managed to finish in 1 hour 48 minutes.
Sheffield Half Marathon, Sunday 10th April
Following the previous two disappointing events, the run at Sheffield was excellent. Chris managed to conquer King of the Hill in an impressive 8 minutes 35 secs, then proceeded to run the next 7 miles downhill. This inevitably took its toll on Chris’s weary legs, and the constant pounding on the knees started to become apparent around mile 9. Despite this, Chris still managed to run the last 10k in a quicker time than his first ever 10, and came home with a time of 1 hour 41 minutes. The medal and commemorative finisher’s shirt were a fantastic reward for the event. All in all a fantastic run!
However, with only 7 short days before the next event in Llanelli, Chris is now glad of a week off from work to be able to rest and repair some of his aches and pains!
With 8 of his 13 marathons now completed, the end is now in sight for Chris, and he’s hoping there’ll be more generous donors to add to his ever-increasing sponsorship amount, having now passed the half way point to his initial £5000 target. Anyone wanting to help Chris achieve his goal can do so by visiting localgiving.com and pledging their chosen amount on his ‘STING’s Lucky 13’ link. Alternatively, text ‘HALF13 £10‘ to 70070 to make a £10 donation.
[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]For further details of Chris’s ambitious challenge, or to find out more information about STING’s work in the community, contact Peter Marenghi on 07736 522474 or via email petermarenghi@hotmail.co.uk Be sure to check out STING’s Lucky 13 Facebook page too, which gives details about Chris’s motivation for his brave ordeal! [/box]
