A 5k run every day for a year is Sheffield man’s charity goal

Chris Wright, 46, was motivated to take on the daily challenge, which will see him clock up nearly 2,000km (1,242 miles) over the course of 2015, after seeing his father-in-law, Les, battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Chris, who grew up in Sheffield, is a month into the challenge after starting on January 1, and he has resolved that his next day off from running will not be until January 2016.

As well as his regular daily runs, he is also planning to take part in several longer races throughout the year, including the Great North Run in Newcastle in September.

Most of the web developer’s runs will be in Sitges in Spain, where he currently lives with his wife Sarah and their family, or in Amsterdam where he regularly travels for work.

Chris, a lifelong Sheffield United supporter, said: “It started after I’d heard about a few other people trying to run 5k a day and not managing to keep the challenge going for a year.

“I told Sarah I was thinking about doing this and before I knew it, she’d told everyone I was doing it, so I was committed.

“Ice, illness and injury permitting I’ll be out pounding the streets every day and so far it’s going well. Sarah and I have run the Great North Run before to raise money for research, and we do it for her dad Les, who is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease and now lives in a care home. Seeing his decline is heartbreaking, especially for Sarah and her mum, and having seen other family members affected by dementia it’s something that terrifies me.

“I chose to support Alzheimer’s Research UK because I want to do all I can to find a cure for this cruel condition.”

To sponsor Chris, visit www.justgiving.com/chris5kaday.