Marathon men
Runners raise thousands for charity
The Archway Parents Group – attached to Chatelherault Primary – were delighted to accept a fantastic donation of £3763.
They received the cash after a dad and his friends raised money from a marathon and half-marathon.
Paul Murphy and Davie Brown ran the Loch Rannoch marathon in October, while Gordon Frew ran the Great Scottish Run’s half-marathon in aid of Archway – which is attached to the autistic spectrum base at the school.
And Paul, whose 11-year-old daughter, Arwen, was diagnosed with autism six months before starting primary school, said: “Running the marathon was a great experience. We trained four times a week for 16 weeks, and every day brought new challenges.
“You had to complete enough mileage to be able to run the marathon, and in total we ran 360 miles over the course of the training period.”
Paul and his friends have helped to raise more than £11,000 since Archway was set up several years ago, by organising regular charitable family events such as race nights and he is planning to hold a kilt walk this summer.
Archway chairperson Vari Morrison said: “Over the years Paul and his friends have raised an amazing amount for Archway. This money has been used to buy resources including a smart board as well as funding outings and sensory equipment.”
Paul added: “Both Davie and Gordon have been a great support and I couldn’t have raised as much money without them because we all work full-time, so it was mentally tiring having to train after eight or nine hours at work.
“Running the 26 miles was tough, but not as hard as I thought it would be, as you switch off from what you’re doing and remember why you’re running.
“Finishing the marathon was great because all my family and friends were there to support me.
“If someone asked me to do it all again, I would say yes.”
The three runners are pictured with Arwen and the cheque that was handed over at Christmas.