£3,500 raised for Stephen Gartland Foundation with Hadrian's Wall run

The team raised £3,500 for the Stephen Gartland Foundation

A Rochdale man ran the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle to Newcastle in just two days, raising £3,500 for the Stephen Gartland Foundation.

Dave Tully was joined by runners Danny Callaghan, Peter Griffiths, Simon Hall, Richy Wiltshire, Matthew Davenport, Darren Clancy and Craig Venske, plus backup help from physiotherapist Simon Dews, driver Michael McElhinney and first-aider Marc Harrison.

They decided to tackle the run in two days, completing 28 miles on day one and a mammoth 42 miles on day two. The team trained right through the winter for the challenge and their dedication was nothing short of inspirational.

Mr Tully said: “The toughest part of the run was on day two. As we ran through Newcastle, we actually passed the hotel we were staying in, but couldn't go in as we still had six or so miles to go. We were down to a virtual walk by then as we had been running for about ten hours, but we knuckled down and finished the job in hand.

“The feeling of achievement for the whole team was massive. It was enough to know what we had just done, but when you factor in that we had raised over £3,500 for the foundation, it was nothing short of humbling. The money raised will go a long way to making lives better for the people who benefit from the foundation.”

He added: “Anyone who has played team sports knows you can’t let the person next to you down and you need to know that they won't let you down either. Michael and Marc's help was invaluable as they kept us hydrated and sorted any niggling injuries that occurred. I would also like to thank Rentruck for their help with the minibus.”

Mr Tully first became involved with the foundation in 2017 and decided to raise funds by running four marathons in four days with a small team. After completing the challenge and raising a substantial amount for the Stephen Gartland foundation, he was left, “feeling like I could do more”.

The charity was launched in memory of aeronautical engineer, Stephen Gartland (aka ‘Garty’), who took his own life in August 2016, aged just 45, after suffering with depression.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106189/foundation-in-memory-of-stephen-gartland-to-raise-awareness-of-male-suicide

The foundation helps to support adults and children with mental health issues whilst providing help with sporting equipment and opportunities.

Co-founder of the Stephen Gartland foundation, Pete Duffy, commented: “I can only echo what Dave has said, humbling is the word. You hear a lot of bad stuff about Rochdale, but when you see something like this you realise there are some fantastic people in our town and they do some fantastic things. All credit to the boys and everyone who contributed, and thanks very much for all the money raised.”