A dad from Little Hulton is planning to run 100 miles around the city on his birthday to raise money for his sister who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
ASDA worker, Christopher Whitehead, 50, is set to run a 25 mile loop around Salford four times next Friday (9 June) for a predicted 24 hours, to raise money for Cancer Research.
The dad-of-one came up with idea for the run after his sister, Kay Whitehead, 44, a bus driver also living in Little Hulton, was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 2021.
A keen runner since aged 10, Chris said: “Kay was diagnosed in December, but I didn’t find out until August 2022, as we hadn’t spoken for some years. I switched up any ideas for a smaller run that I had planned, and wanted to do this for her.
“I thought that I could switch my run up and do 100 miles instead of 50, as I’ve done before, and I’ll do it for Cancer Research.
After six months of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, and an operation, Kay was later given the all clear in October 2022, and continues to be free of the disease.
Christopher continued: “My sister was right behind the idea, she was posting it online and getting sponsorship forms.”
One route of the challenge will see Christopher begin in Little Hulton, go up to Eccles, then Salford Quays, Chapel Street, Frederick Road, Higher Broughton, Kersal, Littleton Road, Lower Broughton Road, Pendleton Church, along The Height, Agecroft Road Swinton, Station Road, the A6, and back to Little Hulton. The only place Chris hasn’t lived in out of the route is Swinton.
Originally, Christopher planned to run from Leicester to Salford on a 100 mile route, but changed to a ‘tour of Salford’ due to concerns for navigation. He said: “I was worried about not being able to have a back-up, if we ran from Leicester. I wasn’t going to give up, so I planned it all myself. I worked it out from Little Hulton and it stays on the inside of Salford, it doesn’t go into anywhere else.”
After doing a recce of his route, Chris is beginning to feel excited about the prospect of raising money for the charity again, after his 50 mile run for Motor Neurone Disease charities last year. He explained: “Because I’ve done so much training, and it’s so much work, and not many people have done 100 miles, I want to do something with it and make sure people hear about it.
“My 13 year-old Daughter, Millie, just thinks its another run because I’ve done so many in the past. But I know next week as Friday approaches she will start asking more questions and getting excited.”
Chris is set to run the 100 mile challenge next Friday (9 June). To sponsor him or find out more information, visit his donation page.
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