Local man to run length of Chesterfield canal and back in 24 hours
On 29 August, local runner David Smith intends to run 92 miles in under 24 hours to raise money for the Chesterfield Canal Trust.
The canal runs for 46 miles from Chesterfield to the River Trent and he will run there and back in a day, the equivalent of 3 and a half marathons.
David is a Life Member of the Trust and will be raising money for its 2027 Appeal Fund. This aims to complete the restoration of the canal by 2027 which will be the 250th Anniversary of its opening.
He will set off from Chesterfield in the afternoon of Saturday 29th August. Having run through the night, he will be aiming to get back early on the Sunday afternoon.
David is no stranger to long distance running, nor to raising money for good causes.
Already a keen runner, when he moved to Chesterfield in 1994 he began looking for running routes and it wasn’t long before he came across the canal. Back then it was just a grassy track, but over the years he has seen what a great job the Trust has done helping to restore the canal.
After a while, various family events led him into fundraising and he started running to raise money for a variety of causes, most notably Ashgate Hospicecare and the MS Society; David’s wife has MS. In 2014, David’s grandson was stillborn and this pushed him to a new level, raising money for two babies’ charities – SANDS and Tommy’s.
David often runs in fancy dress carrying a collection bucket (see below) and has competed in events from 5K to 400K, raising over £100,000 in the process. Weather permitting, he will run in full Scooby Doo attire.
during the coronavirus pandemic. David carried on running in his back garden and later round Derbyshire but not raising much money. He had always wanted to tackle the Cuckoo Way – the official name for the canal towpath.
David said: “Over the weeks of lockdown the Canal has become a vital resource allowing walkers and cyclists to experience its beauty as they exercise. It’s important we ensure the brilliant efforts of the Trust volunteers are allowed to continue so the canal can be fully restored for even more people to enjoy.”
Rod Auton, Chesterfield Canal Trust Publicity Officer, said: “We were blown away when David got in touch with this incredible proposal. A few people have walked the full length of the canal in about 16 hours, but to run it there and back in a day is mind-boggling.”
He added: “We hope that the public will get behind David and contribute to our 2027 Appeal. It would be fantastic to see boats sailing into Chesterfield having come all the way from the river Trent. We’d certainly like to see David on the first boat – hopefully it will have been an easier, but slower, passage!”
If you would like to support David or the Canal Trust, you can visit the Chesterfield Canal Trust website or visit David’s Crowdfunder page. Alternatively, you can send a cheque to the Chesterfield Canal Trust, Hollingwood Hub, 22 Works Road, Chesterfield, S43 2PF.
Chesterfield Canal Trust supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
