Derbyshire runner takes on 215-mile race across Scotland for dementia charity

Matlock Athletics Club member Craig Allen, 46, will be among an international field lining up for the GB Ultras Race Across Scotland starting on Saturday, August 12.

The route takes runners over remote, inhospitable terrain and boggy moorland along the Southern Upland Way between Portpatrick on the west coast, to Cockburnspath in the east.

Craig said: “I’m just an ordinary guy who does a bit of ultra-running. This is by far the biggest challenge I have ever attempted.”

Though he has previously completed a 100-mile event around Sherwood Forest, this next run will test Craig’s powers of endurance to whole new levels.

Once the race begins, external support is only allowed at designated checkpoints, so runners need to carry all the kit, food and water they may need.

Craig said: “The training is tough. It’s tricky juggling running around work and everyday life but the fundraising is even harder, especially at the moment, when money is tight for everyone.”

Inspired by a friend’s mother recently diagnosed with the condition, Craig is aiming to raise £10,000 for Dementia UK and its Admiral Nurses programme, and is almost quarter of the way there already.

Craig said: “I can’t believe how generous people have been, but I have a high fundraising target as Dementia UK is such an important cause.”

Admiral nurses provide advice and support to anyone affected by dementia via a helpline, face-to-face and virtual clinics, and in the community, in GP practices, hospitals, and care homes.

Dementia UK spokesperson Daisy Wilson said: “We are so grateful to Craig for taking on this gruelling challenge. One in three people born in the UK this year will develop dementia in their lifetime. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for them, but also for the people caring for them, their wider family and friends.

“Thanks to the hard work of our amazing fundraisers like Craig, more families than ever will be able to access the life-changing support offered by our Admiral Nurses.”

For updates on Craig’s preparations and progress follow @craigya07 on Instagram.

To add to his fundraising, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/craigallenras.

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