ALBOS has been following the progress of Stone runner Chris Salmon, who’s embarked on a remarkable challenge, which he’s dubbed ‘STING’s Lucky 13’, running 13 half marathons in 13 weeks to raise funds for STING, Staffordshire’s Therapeutic Independent Neurological Group.
STING is Charity of the Year at Wincanton’s National Distribution Centre for Screwfix, located on Prologis Park in Stafford, where Chris, just 28, works as a Stock & Systems Analyst. The 1100+ workforce have held a range of activities throughout the year with the aim of raising a substantial amount of cash.
Great Welsh Half Marathon, Llanelli, Sunday April 10th
Despite suffering from car issues en route to Llanelli, Chris was greeted with another glorious race day with still, sunny conditions from the outset. Efficient organisation ensured the race got off to a flying start on a flat and tidy traffic-free route.
Unfortunately, the small field along with very little spectator support meant the event was quite a lonely one for Chris (big aaahhh!) However, over the impressive number of half marathons under his belt over recent months, he is quite used to entertaining himself over the seemingly endless miles! A great quality finisher’s medal to add to his ever-increasing collection topped off a very satisfying weekend, with Chris finishing in a noteworthy 1 hour 43 minutes!
April 24th, second time lucky at Blackpool!
Following February’s gale force winds and biting rain on the Fylde coast for the Great North West Half Marathon, the first of Chris’s 13 events, he was hoping for drier and calmer conditions when his schedule saw him return to the area on April 24th. Thankfully his wish was granted, and he was able to complete the event in 1 hour 43 minutes, a remarkable result after 10 consecutive weekends of 13.1 mile runs! The heavens did open, but fortunately just after the race was over.
With the Lichfield Half Marathon under his belt, which took place on May 1st, Chris now has just 2 remaining runs before his challenge is complete – Leeds on the 8th and his final event in Chester on the 15th.
With 117.9 competitive miles completed, Chris is now feeling the strain. He’s been carrying out stringent stretching exercises and physiotherapy between his events, rather than risk injury from training runs. Although he’s enjoying the challenge overall, he admits he will be relieved when it ends on May 15th.
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]”Although I’d normally be doing some light jogging prior to an event,” he explains, “I daren’t risk picking up an injury now by overdoing it and putting the last few runs in jeopardy. I know I’ve built up the right amount of fitness – I just need to make sure I stay in shape to finish the job.”[/box]
[box type=”info” ]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 Whitebridge Estate in Stone, which is fully adapted for disabled and wheelchair access, allowing members to attend regular activities and take part in group discussions, wellbeing sessions, and exercise classes, as well as being able to access neurological therapies.
Chris has now raised over £3,000 from his half marathons, and anyone wishing to sponsor him can do so by visiting localgiving.com and accessing his ‘STING’s Lucky 13’ link, or by texting ‘HALF13 £10‘ to 70070 to use JustTextGiving for a £10 pledge.
For further details of Chris’s ambitious challenge, or to find more information about STING’s work in the community, contact Peter Marenghi on 07736 522474 or on petermarenghi@hotmail.co.uk Or you can check out ‘STING’s Lucky 13’ Facebook page, which gives details about Chris’s motivation for his brave ordeal![/box]
