Charity run raises over £1,000

Teesdale Athletic Club members Carrie Wheeler and Rebecca Harrison, along with family and friends, organised a 6k Charity Fun Run at Cockfield on July 18 in memory of Valerie Stainthorpe and in support of Andrew Stainthorpe.

It was a multi-terrain run, walk or jog event for all ages and all abilities.

Registration was from 10am at Cockfield Working Men’s Club and there was no set entry fee but donations to charity were accepted.

The run started at 11am following a clearly marked route with lots of friendly encouraging marshals on the way.

Conditions were perfect as runners streamed out of the village and across fields towards Burnt Houses and along farm tracks back towards Cockfield Fell and down into the village.

There was a post run raffle with some fantastic prizes, plus refreshments and music

Valerie Stainthorpe was a devoted mam, wife and gran who was sadly lost to Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). The event was also in support of her husband, Andrew, who has been bravely battling prostate cancer.

So far to date a massive £1,101.52 has been raised.

There was a tremendous turnout by TAC members who nearly did not all fit on the stage for the pre-race photograph. Ellie and James missed the photo as they were warming up and some members were out on the course on marshal duties.

Other TAC committee members and parents manned the cake stall, took photographs, recorded results and offered words of encouragement to the runners.

Everybody had a fantastic time and well done to all the volunteers and organisers for arranging such a super event.

Well done to Kornel Devlin who has been running Hamsterley Forest Parkrun lately and achieved three first places on his last three runs and gained a new personal best of 21.26.

Rhys Foster, one of our members, has completed his Leadership in Running Fitness Qualification, and will be soon be helping on training nights.

Future training sessions are at Mona Fartlek, 6×2 Hills Startforth, and we are heading down to Shildon for track sessions with our experienced specialist coach John West.

• TAC meets 6pm Tuesdays and Thursdays outside Barnard Castle Post Office. New members welcome.

Results

TAC male juniors: Jack, Tommy, Kornel, Danny, Josh. TAC female juniors: Grace and Elle. Senior male: James, Steve, Alan, Michael and Dave. Senior female: Sarah, Ellie, Carrie, Erica, Louise, Caroline, Karen W, Mandy/Trudy, Karen D, Sophie/Karen K.

Gail Foster