A GAMEKEEPER raised £1,000 more than his target for a cancer charity after going the extra 100 miles.
Supporters of the Prostate Cancer charity were asked to run 50 miles during October to raise funds for the group, but Mark Gallagher thought that wasn’t enough and completed 150 miles in just 20 days, raising £2,500 in the process. His initial target was £1,500.
The gamekeeper for Cotherstone Moor is known for supporting charity runs after first lining up for the inaugural Cotherstone 5k, which was organised in support of the Great North Air Ambulance Service and Pancreatic Cancer.
Mr Gallagher said: “I had only been running a month and a bit when I did the run at Cotherstone and I won that. I came second this year though.”
His interest in running began when he decided to complete all the Lake District’s Wainwright trails within a year.
He said: “That is why I started running, so that I could get them done and get back [in time for] work.”
There was similar pressure during his October challenge because it was at the height of the shooting season.
He began the challenge by taking part in the Woodland Triangle 10k. He won the race.
After that, Mr Gallagher averaged more than seven miles a day, running after work.
The 41-year-old said: “The last day I did it was during Storm Babet so I ran in full waterproofs.
“I ran from Cotherstone down to the viaduct at Barnard Castle in the dark. I had it in my head that I was so close to finishing I didn’t want to miss a day.”
He raised cash through a Facebook page, a sponsorship form at the Fox and Hounds pub in Cotherstone and through various shoot days.
Mr Gallagher said: “The generosity of people is unbelievable.
“I was overwhelmed I raised that much, especially at the pub in Cotherstone where some people probably didn’t know who I really was.
“I did it because I have got a family member who is suffering from it at the moment.”
“He added: “When you talk to people about it, it is amazing how many people who are going through something similar.”
