A RUNNER has raced his way to his 40th birthday after pounding the pavements every day for a year.
Warwick dad Andy Hudson decided on his 39th to take on a run a day to raise money for local charity Myton Hospice.
He was inspired by his personal trainer Paul Yeoman, who has ran an impressive 1,400 consecutive days.
And come torrential rain, heatwaves, holidays or even injuries, Andy stayed true to his word and ran more than 1,700 miles in total, clocking up an average of five miles a day.
In total he raised an impressive £620 for the hospice.
Software developer Andy said: “I started on June 20 last year running a minimum of a mile a day for a year. It wasn’t very often I only ran the minimum. It was all recorded so people could see I was actually doing it – I ran two ultra marathons, marathons and numerous half marathons in that time.
“The day after doing the ultra marathon was really tough because my ankle was swollen. I hurt my knee part way through the marathon. We strapped it up and I carried on but then all the pressure went to my ankle.
“My feet were shredded the next day. I had to run with my wife supporting my injured side – I actually did more than a mile which probably wasn’t the best idea.”
Most times Andy ran alone, after even the dog grew tired of seeing him pulling on his running shoes.
But he finished on his birthday this year surrounded by family and friends who all took part in a four mile run around St Nicholas Park.
He said: “My dog ran with me a few times but she gets bored of it quickly. My wife ran with me but she doesn’t like running. She was always totally understanding of my need to run every single day and never once moaned, even when it got in the way of everything. I don’t think she will ever know how important she is in everything I achieve.
“My main inspiration for running was my personal trainer Paul. In the last year he has helped me achieve the task physically and even become a better runner over the time.
“The last week of my challenge was definitely the hardest part with the heatwave, but I have had great support.”
And Andy has not stopped there, he has continued running even after hitting his target and celebrated his 40th birthday with a run around Draycote Water.
Visit www.justgiving.com/andrewhudsonrunning to donate.
