Soccer fan goes on a stadium tour to raise charity cash
AMAN is to run to every football league ground in the country over the course of six months, to raise thousands for charity.
Dad-of-one, Nathan Richardson, 28, will be finishing his epic quest at Spotland Stadium.
He chose the ground as he used to live in Rochdale, a lot of his family live in the area and he has attended a lot of Dale games. The Manchester United fan has been planning the trip since last July, saving cash from his job as a mechanical engineer to be able to take the time out.
He is aiming to raise £9,200, £100 for every club, to be split between mental health charity Mind, and a charity he has previously done runs for, The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour charity, also known as SuperJosh.
Nathan, who ran his first marathon last year, will begin running on March 7, starting from
Old Trafford. He expected to run between 2,00 and 2,500 miles on the trip.
He will be running between 50 and 100 miles each week, using no other transport, and carrying all his kit, including a tent, on his back.
Nathan, who grew up in Heywood, said: “The first run will be to the Etihad.
“On the first day, I’m planning to do plogging a combination of jogging while picking up litter.
“I want to make the first day a bit of an event and get people involved.
“I’ve got Keep Britain Tidy and some other litter-picking groups involved. For where I’m staying, I’ve had a lot of offers from the running community to put me up in accommodation
“I’ll be staying wherever I can and taking a tent with me for emergencies. I’m looking forward to all of it - the south coast will be nice. I can do about 30 miles without stopping but I’m going to keep building up.”
Nathan who now lives in Sale, has been supported by Mind in the past.
He said: “I had some issues with mental health.
“I realised how much it helped me when I was running. My eight-yearold daughter, Sian Bleakley, will be coming to visit me with my mum.”
You can donate to Nathan and read more about his story by visiting: uk.virginmoneygiving. com/runaroundthegrounds