Fun runners help raise £500 for charity

Around 50 people signed up for the Ellesmere Fun Run, which took place this morning.

The event was organised by Debbie Watson, a member of Oswestry's Girls On the Run running group, who will be taking part in the London Marathon later this year.

The 40-year-old, from Ellesmere, has secured a charity place for the event, raising money for the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital.

The fun run followed a course from Tesco in Ellesmere, along the canal to Colemere and back again.

First home was Will Waldridge, narrowly beating Simon Lewis in a sprint finish.

Debbie said there had been a good turn out for the event, and she was delighted that the rain had stayed away, even if it was a bit muddy.

She said: "It went really well and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The weather wasn't too bad, it stayed dry but it was rather muddy."

Debbie said the run had raised £482, which means she has nearly reached her initial £1,500 fundraising target for the marathon.

She is now looking to continue raising more money ahead of the October race.

She said: "I had the target to raise £1,500 and now I want to try and get as much as I can.".

Debbie added that she had been inspired to take on the marathon challenge after seeing fellow runners from the Girls On The Run group taking part last year.

She said: "There is so much inspiration because a lot of the girls in Girls On The Run did it last year. They posted videos up while they were doing it and they were so inspirational."

Anyone who wishes to support Debbie's fundraising efforts can do so online at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/debbie-watson20