Good sports get to it for great cause
RUNNERS pounded the tracks and swimmers made a splash at the weekend to raise money for Sport Relief.
Macclesfield Harriers and Athletic Club saw around 150 adults and children turn out on Sunday to run as part of the The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games.
The Games are a charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, bringing together sport and entertainment to raise money for vulnerable people in the UK and abroad.
From four-year-olds to Macclesfield’s very own marathon man Harry Newton, 78, members of the public joined running club members to raise more than £1,000 for the cause.
Neil Gunn, Macclesfield Harriers and Athletic Club treasurer and running group leader, who organised the event along with Bob Lynch, club president, said: “It was a fantastic day. We’re all delighted to be able to help such a worthy cause and get people interested in sport at the same time.
“There was a great atmosphere, with volunteers from the club helping runners. It was lovely to see families running together and the weather was great!”
The runners took on either a one mile, three mile or six mile challenge, the one mile and three mile runs taking place on the track and the six mile challenge covering two laps of the Macclesfield 5K route passing Priory Lane, Victoria Road, Prestbury Road and Macclesfield Hospital.
Neil said: “Around 20 people did the six mile run including some of the youngsters.
“A couple of the young ones set off like bullets but then slowed down. But they all got through it.”
Beech Hall school pupils raised more than £500 by taking on a Sport Relief mile either by walking, running or cycling down Middlewood Way, or swimming a mile at Bollington Leisure Centre.
And a group of col- leagues from AstraZeneca took part in a sponsored 5K swim at Total Fitness Leisure Centre in Wilmslow.
Undergraduate placement students Kiani Jeacock, 20, Rosalind Latham, 21, and graduate scientist James Loudon-Griffiths, 26, took part in a vigorous 10 week training programme at Macclesfield Leisure Centre before the challenge, which raised £1,283.69 along with a cake sale held at their workplace.
For more information about Macclesfield Harriers see macclesfield-harriers.co.uk.