Runner Ben raises mental health cash

ANDY MCGILVRAY

A Coatbridge football coach has raised hundreds of pounds for his club’s health and wellbeing programme by running nearly 40 miles in 20 hours.

Ben Fitzpatrick , 20, undertook the challenge on Monday, June 15, running five miles every four hours.

And, in order to make sure he was in good condition, Ben ran more than he had originally intended to.

He spotted the idea on Facebook the previous Friday and decided to do something to supplement a 500-mile challenge club president Gary Flint had organised.

Ben wasn’t entirely convinced that he would undertake the challenge, but at 7pm on the Monday, he contacted Gary to say he would run from midnight, until 8pm on Tuesday, June 16.

Ben, who has helped the club raise close to £900, explained: “It was over six runs but it was five miles for each. In between I didn’t want to sit down and let my legs seize up, so I ended up doing over 39 miles.

“Within Coatbridge Rovers we have our own mental health club, it doesn’t get any funding and it’s completely self-run.

“With it being Mental Health Awareness Week I saw the 500-mile challenge that Gary had set up and I thought I’ll do my own wee bit.

“I didn’t really know what to do, but I was flicking through Facebook one day and it popped up on Friday of last week so I had the idea then.

“On the Monday night at 7pm I phoned Gary and said I’d do it, and in a couple of hours, so I did.

“The whole point was trying to raise awareness for the mental health club; I think everybody has experienced or knows somebody who has experienced mental health problems, and especially in the time we’re going through just now, so I thought ‘there aren’t many better charities about.”

Ben, who has been a coach at the club for four years, ran routes around his home town of Hamilton, but also in Coatbridge to keep things interesting.

He is studying sports development at university and knows coaching is what he wants to do, having started with the 2012 boys’ team, and now coordinates the girls’ academy at the club, incorporating four teams.

Gary and Ben have set up a JustGiving page, raising money for the club’s mental health club, with 25 per cent going each to Coatbridge Foodbank and NHS Lanarkshire.

You can dona t e to the club’s fundraising efforts at justgiving. com/ crowdfunding/ coatbridgeroversfc?utm_ term=NBk5rMZ73

Route One of Ben’s runs

Fundraiser Ben raised hundreds of pounds for his club by running nearly 40 miles