Wigan runner urges people to pull on their trainers as his streak ends after 1,479 days

A runner who has been pounding the streets every day for more than four years has been forced to bring his streak to an end.
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Matthew Melling, known as the Wigan Runner, started by running 5km on January 1, 2017 and kept going, raising more than £20,000 for good causes along the way.

But he has had to stop running after being admitted to Wigan Infirmary on Tuesday with appendicitis.

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He wrote on Facebook: "We’ve ran for 1,479 days in 25 different countries, in different time zones, in snow, rain, wind and unbearable heat and humidity. We’ve ran through illness, we’ve ran though injury and we are determined that it won’t stop now.

Matthew MellingMatthew Melling
Matthew Melling

"We’ve always feared the day the streak could come to an end, and with a sinking heart last night I feared this might be it. I’ve been diagnosed with appendicitis today and I'm all being well operated on in the morning. Being in hospital it’s therefore currently impossible for me to keep this running streak going by myself."

He said he had received "amazing support" and urged people to run in his place.

He wants his supporters to cover 1,480 miles and raise £1,480, which will be donated to Wigan Dodgeball Warriors, the Aspull ward at Wigan Infirmary and the hospital trust's Three Wishes charity.

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Matthew said: "Together we will total up the distance ran between us each day and together we will run 1,480 miles! That distance would take us from Wigan to Ukraine!

"At this stage let’s aim to raise a massive £1,480 to coincide with the day ive reached running every day on this journey.

"Day 1,480 is not the end. We're going to find a way to make this just the beginning."

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