Doo doooooooooooo….tatatatata….(Chariots of Fire theme!). Two runners braved biting gale force winds and crashing waves as they pounded along Blackpool seafront to raise money for a Stone charity.
Chris Salmon and Tony Hill, workmates from Wincanton’s Distribution Centre for Screwfix in Stafford, were among around 1,300 runners who competed in the Great North West Half Marathon in treacherous conditions along the Fylde coast.
Despite having a wonderful sea view along the coastal route of the event, parts of the wind and rain affected course were made even more hazardous by slippery rocky paths and rough terrain. With the relentless heavy gales in their faces along much of the route, completion of the course – let alone achieving a personal best time – was at risk! At least the guys didn’t do an Alan Bradley!
Undeterred, Chris and Tony battled bravely against the elements to finish the event in the worst conditions either had ever competed in, with respectable finishing times of 1:45 (Chris, placed #237) and 1:48 (Tony, placed #299).
It was vital to complete the event, as this was Chris’s first half marathon in a series of 13 which he’ll be undertaking over the next 13 weeks – hopefully in a total of under 1300 minutes. The event has been christened STING’s Lucky 13, as for 13 consecutive weekends, Chris will be running a total of 13 half marathons across the country to raise money for STING – Staffordshire’s Therapeutic Independent Neurological Group.
STING was chosen as Wincanton’s Charity of the Year last March, and since then the workforce has been carrying out a wide and interesting selection of events to raise vital funds, from fun days to leg waxing and gungings!
Wincanton’s national distribution centre for Screwfix, located on Prologis Park in Stafford, pledged to support local charity STING with its fundraising activities, following a vote carried out by all team leaders at the site. Each year Wincanton, the company dealing with all Screwfix’s distribution throughout the country, selects a specific charity to raise funds for. The 1100+ workforce arrange an assortment of activities throughout the year, with the aim of raising a substantial amount of cash while having a great deal of fun at the same time, as clearly demonstrated in the photos above!
[box type=”info” ]STING works to support anyone in the area with a neurological condition, which includes multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and many others. The group operates from Unit 22b on Stone’s Whitebridge Estate, 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.
You can see further details of Chris’s amazing challenge on STING’s Lucky 13 Facebook page.
Anyone wishing to sponsor Chris can do so by accessing the STING’s Lucky 13 link and visiting localgiving.com, or if you prefer to donate via text, simply text ‘HALF13 £10’ to 70070 to pledge using JustTextGiving.
Further details of STING and their local work can be found on their Facebook page[/box]
[box type=”success” ]Congratulations on your achievements so far, Chris, and the very best of luck for your remaining runs, from all of us here at ALBOS.[/box]
