Run Around the Grounds challenge

Salford became the fourth checkpoint ticked off by a Manchester runner on Tuesday afternoon as he attempts to complete the ‘Run Around the Grounds’ challenge for charity.

Nathan Richardson, 28, is scheduled to run to all 92 football league stadiums over the coming months to raise money for charities Mind and Super Josh.

Richardson arrived at Salford City FC’s Peninsula Stadium at 12.30pm on Tuesday afternoon, having set off from Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park earlier in the morning.

He said: “It was wet! A little bit wet today, a bit hilly but it wasn’t too bad in the end.

“It was eight miles today from Oldham.

“I ran from Oldham through Middleton. It got a little bit busy when I got to Salford, but it wasn’t too bad.”

As a Manchester United fan, Nathan fittingly set off on the challenge from his beloved Old Trafford on the same day as Manchester derby over the weekend, kicking it all off with the four-and-a-half mile cross-town run to the Etihad Stadium.

With the main goal to raise money for his chosen charities, the challenge has also allowed him to combine his passion for running and football, less than twelve months after he ran his first-ever marathon.

“I’m a keen runner anyway. I started running marathons last year, I ran my first and then second a week later. I sort of got a bug for running.

“So, I began to plan this challenge, and then also I’m a football fan and I wanted to see all the stadiums.

“When I started to look to see if anyone had done anything like this, I saw that it had never been done before, so I started to plan it.”

Having reached The Peninsula Stadium, Nathan will set off from the home of the Ammies on Wednesday morning with Bolton Wanderers’ University of Bolton Stadium his next destination.

He is also hoping that the challenge, which is scheduled to be completed in September, can help to inspire others to get out and get on their feet and improve their wellbeing.

“I’ve done United, City, Oldham and now Salford. I’ve been using Google Maps a little bit, I’ve got my headphones in and listening to it to see where I need to go.

“I’m hoping to go to all 92 grounds, raise all the money I can and get people out running a little bit more because it can be beneficial for your mental and physical health.”

You can find out more about Nathan’s story, and the ‘Run Around the Grounds’ challenge, here or to donate visit https://www.nathrich.com/charites-donate.

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