I'm going to run 95 miles in 72 hours to raise money for a Wigan boy with a rare condition
A keen runner is taking on his biggest challenge yet to support a Wigan boy with a rare disorder.
Andy Leather, 46, from Leigh, completed a 48 hour run for the Teenage Cancer Trust during the winter four years ago.
Along with fellow members of Standish Running Club, he is now supporting the Together for Toby charity, which began to raise awareness for Wigan boy Toby Cartwright’s congenital myotonic dystrophy diagnosis.
It is the most severe, paediatric-onset form of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and affects the skeletal muscles and other bodily functions including the heart, lungs and gastrointestinal system. His family is working tirelessly to get more funding and research on the disorder.
Now, Andy has decided to take on a 72-hour run covering 95 miles, in which he will run five miles every four hours, starting at midnight on Friday.
Andy said: “The training’s been going well, everything’s feeling good. I’m just ready to get going now because everything’s been in preparation for at least three months.”
"The routes have been put down and everything like that, so it’s just a matter of getting on with it.”
Andy’s route includes going all around Leigh, Southport and Standish, finishing at midnight on Monday.
On choosing so support Together for Toby, Andy said: “It’s important because CDM hasn’t got much awareness. If even 100 people look at this and go, ‘Oh, what’s this?’ and then look into it and they can help in any way, that would be amazing.
“They’re such a great family and you just want to help families and people like that so they can progress.”
On the challenge, Andy said: “I’m excited. I like challenges and I’m excited more than anything because it will be good to see various people coming and joining in.”
Andy asked people to support him and join in if they can, either by walking, running or cycling.
Donate to Andy’s fund-raiser here.