Mega runner to journey through Grimsby as part of marathon challenge

MEGA runner Danny Watson is stopping by in Grimsby on the penultimate day of his epic 30 marathons in 30 days challenge. After running at least 26.2 miles every day since September 23, when he set off from Brighton Pier, he will finish his ‘30in30’ in Hull tomorrow, October 22.

He will have covered a total distance across England of more than 800-miles raising money and awareness for local charity CatZero. Danny, who turned 50 this year, is keen to spread CatZero’s message of support, inspiration and hope the length of the country.

He said: “The ability for CatZero to help people effect lasting personal change has been proven since our launch 11 years ago with hundreds of people of all ages and abilities assisted back into long-term employment or training. “Such support will be needed more than ever in the coming months and years as people face uncertain times in many areas of their lives.

“There has never a better time to raise awareness of how our charity is able to offer that support.” Today, Wednesday October 20, Danny will set off from Covenham near Louth to run up through North Thorseby and then to Grimsby where he will stop by his charity’s offices at the Digital Hub on Freeman Street.

He will rest just west of Grimsby before his final and 30 marathon takes him over the Humber Bridge and into Hull where he will finish his 30 days of continual running at CatZero’s Hull Marina HQ, where the charity’s 72ft challenge yacht is based.

From Brighton, Danny’s journey has taken him through central London and up into Cambridgeshire. He first crossed the Lincolnshire border in late September when his 26.2-mile daily route brought him to North East Lincolnshire on Day Nine of his 30in30.

On this first visit to he also stopped off at the Hub where he was met by keen runner and North East Lincolnshire Council Chief Executive Rob Walsh, along with friends, team members and supporters of CatZero. From there he spent the following week on a daily route around East and North Yorkshire, making his way across the North York Moors to the north east coast.

With an initial plan to run the 800miles to John O’Groats changed due to the continued covid threat, he came back south across the Humber Bridge to complete a full loop of the huge county of Lincolnshire before running back through Grimsby and the Hull finish line on Thursday. In aid of CatZero, the leading Humber-based independent charity he helped to launch 11 years ago, Danny has a personal fund-raising target of £35,000. A twice-round-the-world sailor, Danny is the charity’s Director of Sailing and CatZero uses sailing as an integral part of its personal development and change programmes for young people, unemployed adults, lone parents and veterans. More recently it has launched its hugely successful Full Families programmes in the Humber region. In Grimsby its programme, run in conjunction with CPO, is helping up to 100 families.

■ To donate to Danny’s 30in30 visit the Virgin Money Giving page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ DannyWatson30in30