A County Durham man is preparing for the second leg of a charity fundraising running treble to support a local wildlife charity. Chris Lines, from Sedgefield, is attempting to complete a half marathon, a marathon, and a 50-mile ultra marathon, all in just three weeks and to raise money for Durham Wildlife Trust.
Chris Lines, a business owner and Durham county councillor, pledged to fundraise for Durham Wildlife Trust at this year’s Great North Run, but as a keen runner who takes part in the world’s biggest half marathon every year anyway, he decided to add something to the challenge. This weekend, he will head to the Scottish Highlands for Salomon Skyline Scotland to attempt the Lochaber 80 Ultra. The event is an 80km (50-mile) trail run with 2,000 metres of ascent, that follows a route from Kinlochleven and will take participants a good way up the flanks of Ben Nevis. Chris’ treble will conclude on 1 and 2 October, when he takes part in two races at the Kielder Marathon weekend, in the ‘Sedgefield Specials’ team during the Run-Bike-Run and then the full marathon.
Chris comments: “I was delighted when Durham Wildlife Trust offered me a place at this year’s Great North Run. The trust is a great charity that is doing really important work to protect and conserve wildlife from Tees to Tyne, and that work is more vital than ever as we try to address the huge challenges posed by the ecological emergency that we all face.
“However, I felt a bit cheeky asking people to sponsor me for taking part in the Great North Run, because I run at the event every year! So, to add a little spice, I’m taking on a treble that will definitely take me out of my comfort zone. I’ve taken part in events at every Kielder Marathon weekend since it was launched, so I know what to expect at ‘Britain’s most beautiful marathon’, but I am feeling a bit daunted by the Lochaber 80. I’ve never tried a race of that distance before and although we have some lovely countryside around Sedgefield, there’s a distinct lack of mountains to train on. A few steep climbs at the trust’s Bishop Middleham Quarry Nature Reserve are quite handy though!
“The Great North Run went to plan and assuming that I can tick off all three legs of the treble, I hope to raise a good amount for a really crucial cause for all of our futures. Then, I might have a little lie down.”
To make a donation to Chris’s fundraising, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chrisjlines.
To find out more about the work of Durham Wildlife Trust, visit https://www.durhamwt.com.