Marathon man Chris taking on 30-mile charity fundraiser running round the houses

Chris will run past 17 different homes on the 30-mile route taking around six hours
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A runner who failed to be accepted for the London Marathon has decided to take on an even longer route - to fundraise and visit 17 care homes that he oversees.

Chris Gell, operations manager at Consensus, a provider of support and accommodation for people with learning disabilities and or autism, will be running a gruelling 30 miles.

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Taking in all of Consensus' Northants-based learning disability services, Chris will run the Consensus Marathon to raise money for Kettering’s homeless charity The Hub.

A keen runner, Chris first got the idea to run the route after several failed attempts to enter the London Marathon which has always been his dream.

He said: “As I work in Northants for Consensus, I began to wonder how far apart our services are and discovered it was 19.2 miles between my services in Wellingborough and Desborough and realised I could run between them passing my services in Burton Latimer, Barton Seagrave and Kettering.

“Then I realised my route through Kettering could take me past another five services so why not swing by those and then the other four too. Then I decided actually Corby isn’t that far so why not run to them all - as a great role model of mine in life, Derrick Trotter, once said 'He who dares, wins'. "

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Chris will start the challenge at 9am on Friday from Blossoms service in Wellingborough, before running to another service in North Wellingborough, 11 services in Kettering, two services in Desborough and a further two in Corby, crossing the finish line at specialist Prader-Will Syndrome service in Gretton.

Chris GellChris Gell
Chris Gell

His estimated completion time is 3.45pm or six hours, 45 minutes in total.

As well as lifting spirits and bringing a smile to the people Consensus supports, Chris is also keen to make a positive difference within his community.

He will be raising money for The Hub who provide a lifeline to homeless people in Kettering.

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“I was really keen to use the challenge to make a positive difference to the lives of people within our local community.

Chris' route and approximate timingsChris' route and approximate timings
Chris' route and approximate timings

"I chose The Hub because they are a fantastic and dedicated group of volunteers who provide food, shelter and essential items for 45-50 people each week in Kettering. They are based out of the Eden Church and rely heavily on people’s donations to keep running.”

To date, Chris has successfully raised just over £400 of his £500 target.

Colleagues from Consensus Northants team have volunteered to be Chris’s support team on the day, carrying supplies and charting his progress and supported individuals will be forming his cheer squad and giving him lots of support and encouragement as he arrives at and leaves their home.

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Chris added: "Our colleagues and the individuals we support at our services are very excited about the challenge and have all been really keen to get involved. It’s definitely been a good way to lift everyone’s spirits as well as do something positive for the wider community.”

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