Wigan dad's amazing 14-mile charity run between hospitals after two hip replacements

He started at Leigh Infirmary and ran to Wigan Infirmary before completing the gruelling final few uphill miles through Standish to the end of the course outside Wrightington Hospital.

Stephen, 65, wanted to support the hospitals, especially after having to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, following his own visits to WWL for major surgeries.

And it was his own experiences in the operating theatre that led him to pick the specialist orthopaedics centre as the finishing line for his fund-raising task.

So far his efforts have paid off, with generous supporters bringing in more than £500 for the hospitals to ensure he has exceeded his target.

Proud daughter Kelly Rigby, 36, said: “It was just an idea he came up with. He played a lot of sport when he was younger and then was quite young when he had to have the hip replacements due to wear and tear.

“He wanted to start running again so we joined the Couch to 5k.

“We continued to run when we went into lockdown, I would run two metres behind him so we kept to social distancing.

“We carried on twice a week and eventually he said he wanted to do a run for the local NHS. He wanted to go from Leigh to Wigan and then to Wrightington because that was where he had his hip replacements done.

“He did really well on the day. He’s really pleased with himself and should be. Running all that way at his age is really impressive.

“The hospitals have been brilliant with him and he still goes back for check-ups.

“He just wanted to give something back and in the current climate it’s more important to recognise our key workers than ever.”

Stephen covered the arduous cross-borough course he set himself in an impressive time of around two and a half hours, quicker than the three-hour target he had originally set himself.

He was supported along the way by Kelly and her friends Rachel Cottom and Catherine Wilcock.

They took it in turns to run alongside him and then completed the final stretch from Albert’s restaurant in Standish to Wrightington Hospital together.

Stephen formerly played football for a team in Ince and has also completed a marathon in the past.

Despite his hip replacements he has continued to stay active, cycling to and from his job as a plant cleaner at Stateside Foods in Westhoughton every day.

However, he admitted to Kelly that it was good to be back in training in the months leading up to his 14-mile run and is now planning future athletic exploits.

She said: “He told me he has lost a bit of weight this year and running has also helped his mental health.

“He’s going to carry on and he’s mentioned possibly doing the half marathon next year. He’s definitely not slowing down.”

Find out more or donate at www.gofundme.com/f/moseley039s-mini-marathon