A BLACKBURN man has ran over 100 miles to raise money for Nightsafe.

Kris Connolly pulled on his trainers decided to take on the challenge throughout October with a target of raising £150 for the charity which helps young homeless people.

After a long period without training, Rugby Vice Captain Kris, 30, challenged himself ‘match fit’ and raise money for a worthy cause in the process. He admits he has been “overwhelmed” by the support he has received – raising over £830 for the charity.

Kris, from Cherry Tree in Blackburn, said: “It was tough at stages – especially when I needed to go for a run after a long shift at work. The weather also turned towards the end of the month so I had a few runs in downpours. When it got hard, I just thought about the charity and the young people they support.”

Kris, who even ran past a couple of the Nightsafe housing projects near to his home, was greeted at the finish line by representatives of the charity holding banners. His son Ted, 4, also ran the last half a mile by his side.

As well as raising hundreds of pounds for charity, Kris said his fitness has also improved.

Kris added: “At the start of the month I was running an 11-minute mile, and that has reduced to 9 minutes – which I’m really pleased with.

“I has been an amazing month and I am totally overwhelmed by the support I have received. The money I’ve helped to raise is going to make such a difference to Nightsafe.”

Jan Larkin, Nightsafe CEO, said: “Running 100 miles in 31 days is quite some challenge, especially when the weather has turned for the worse and the nights are darker. Kris has shown such amazing commitment and is a true inspiration for our young people. We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Kris for all the miles he has run in aid of the charity and all the pounds he has helped to raise.”