Chester bar manager in fantastic four running challenges

Craig Pritchard, bar manager at Sandstone in Westminster Park, has been taking on long-distance challenges to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

In early 2023, he was accepted to fundraise for MND Association and participate in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.

Although Craig doesn’t have a direct link to the disease, he grew up watching Rob Burrow and the late Doddie Weir when he used to play rugby at outside-centre, and scrum half in his early years.

Craig Pritchard pictured at the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.

The Sandstone team then became quickly aware that some of their regulars were suffering from the disease, and family members of other customers in the neighbouring community were dealing with the disease. This made bar manager Craig more determined to fundraise for the MND Association.

Last year he ran the Leeds marathon in a time of 5:20:17 on a very hot day, raising a total of £1,207.50. Following this, he was invited onto a Zoom call with MND and Kevin Sinfield as a thank you for running the inaugural marathon.

Craig went on to run the Cardiff Half Marathon in October 2023, running a time of 2:09:20 and raising a further £770 for MND.

That October run was also a poignant one as a couple of weeks prior, Sandstone sadly lost one of its regulars to the disease, to say it was an emotionally charged run would be an understatement.

As 2024 arrived, Craig was trying to decide what challenges to undertake as MND had invited him back to fundraise for them. He hadn’t planned to re-run the Rob Burrow Leeds marathon but with MND calling, he couldn’t turn it down.

He then decided he also wanted to run closer to home so signed up to do the Chester Triple; the Chester 10k, Chester Half and Chester Marathon. So, the Chester-Leeds quad challenge was born!

Craig Pritchard, bar manager of Sandstone in Westminster Park, Chester, has been taking on a series of running challenges to raise funds for MND Association.

In March, the Chester 10k was the first race of the year and, as the thousads who ran with Craig can attest, was very wet. But Craig smashed a personal best and ran it in 52:31 and said he felt he had more in the tank as he sprinted across the finish line.

Next up was the return to Leeds and on a rather hot Sunday, May 12, he took on the Rob Burrow Marathon again, this time coming home in an impressive 4:42:21, taking a huge 38 minutes off his previous time, albeit through some pain as his left knee began hurting from 28km in.

Craig is now gearing up for Sunday's Chester Half Marathon.

The final race of the Chester-Leeds quad is the Chester Marathon on Sunday, October 6.

People can sponsor him here by going to https://www.justgiving.com/page/craig-pritchard-cragus-sandstone or drop money into the team at the bar.