A CHILLINGTON resident organised a 300-mile, non-stop relay run from Paignton Zoo to Manchester United, on behalf of Save the Children.

Lisa Butcher of Love2walk K9s, Chillington, organised the run and said: ‘We wanted to raise a substantial amount of money for Save the Children, and for this we knew we would have to organise a challenging event to maximise publicity for the charity, as well as raising the profile and awareness of their work in the UK and overseas.

‘We chose to run to a high profile sporting venue and Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium seemed the perfect choice.’

The ten-strong team, supported by two physiotherapists, a videographer and three drivers, ran non-stop for 48 hours in a relay, reaching Sale Sharks Rugby Club and Old Trafford early in the morning.

Both Sale Sharks and Manchester United provided support and hospitality, with runners meeting Mark Cueto, the former England and British Lions rugby player, and at Old Trafford runners met Gary Neville and were given a tour of the Trophy Room and had photographs taken pitch-side at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United also donated a signed shirt, which will be auctioned at the Save the Children Gala dinner in Torquay on April 28, 2017.

Lisa continued: ‘There was such camaraderie during the event, with the runners very supportive of each other, especially in the early hours when encouragement was most welcome. The presence of the physios made a huge difference, helping to keep all the runners mobile!

‘It was daunting to start with, but the camaraderie on the bus helped people through it, as you really didn’t want to miss your turn and let the team down. The hardest thing was lack of sleep! When we arrived at our travel lodge on the Friday lunchtime everyone went to sleep for the afternoon!

‘Sponsorship money continues to come in and we are hoping to raise in excess of £5,000. Our thanks go to Lovell Rugby for their continued support in providing sponsored clothing; to Events and Stuff South West for their help and support in making this event possible, and to all the runners and support members for participating in this epic challenge.’

This is the third such challenge, having previously run to Twickenham and Leicester Tigers. If you would like to donated to Save the Children, text ‘PAIG 75 £3’ to 70070, or you can donate directly to charity account with sort code: 54 10 89 and account number: 15823679.

If you would like to contact Lisa, call 07722 544999 or visit: www.love2walk-k9s.co.uk