Sam’s marathon effort for Illingworth Cricket Club

Sam Starsmore, 27, will undertake the challenge on Sunday, October 4, with all donations going towards the club in what has been a difficult period financially.

Sam, from Illingworth, plays for the club and has been a member for four or five years.

He said: “We’re hoping to raise around £2,000 which will go towards the £20,000 required for a new pavilion roof.

“I took up running seriously at the start of lockdown and it is a personal goal to run a marathon before the end of the year.

“I can’t attend the London Marathon, which is on the same date, so decided to arrange this fundraising day which will hopefully bring the whole club and community together.

“Our financials have been impacted due to the closure of the club and no cricket for half of the season so we’ll be doing our best to raise vital funds.

“I have 22 club members supporting me, who will be running five kilometres each in different groupings to encourage this to be a real team effort.

“We have rigorous COVID compliant arrangements and comprehensive risk assessments in motion that have been taking place since cricket started back up. We will be continuing this on the day of the event to offset any worries people may have.”

If you would like to donate, visit https://localgiving.org/fundraising/illingworthmarathon/.