Chester Marathon 2024

On a cool, damp October morning, around 5,000 runners gathered in Chester for the 2024 MBNA Chester marathon. Chester marathon is the 6th largest marathon in the UK and has won the vote for best marathon in the UK 3 times. The course covers 19 miles in England and 7 miles in Wales, the only marathon to span both countries and passes both Chester's iconic and historic landmarks as well as the beautiful Cheshire and North Wales countryside.

Among the runners this year were Niel Gillard, a senior lecturer at Chester Law school and his friend Alex Challenor, raising funds for Chester and District Samaritans. Niel and Alex ran the marathon to support the efforts of Milking it for Money, a staff student group within the University of Chester's School of Law and Social Justice. The pair have already surpassed, in fact more than doubled, their original target of £250; a splendid total which will do so much to support the work of Chester and District Samaritans.

If you would like to contribute to Niel and Alex's fundraising efforts, you can find their fundraising page at Milking It For Money's Fundraiser - Niel Gillard

Catching up with the pair briefly after the race, Niel said that originally the plan had been for the the two to cover the course together, but due to illness during the last weeks before the race, Niel's training had been disrupted, which slowed him down on the day and Alex went on to finish a little way ahead of his friend.

In the event the pair were reunited in the finishers tent and proudly displayed their medals. For Niel the culmination of a year of events including the Chester 10K, Cheshire Half Marathon and now the Chester Marathon.

Everyone at Chester and District Samaritans is immensely grateful to Niel and Alex for all of the work they've put into training for these events, for taking on such massive challenge in support of our work.