Chris tackles an Ultra-long race

BLUE Coat School maths teacher Chris Webb will be adding up the miles when he tackles the Grand Union Canal Race — all 145 of them.

And the 28-year-old is hoping to complete the challenge from Birmingham to London — billed as Britain’s longest, toughest, non-stop running race — in 35 hours.

Chris, a keen fell runner who competes in the Ultra Running Championship, took up the sport at university in Sheffield.

He said: “Someone got me into long-distance running because though I didn’t have much pace, I had good stamina.

“It is a bit of a fringe sport but it is fantastic and much more interesting than running on the road.

“For the last five or six years I have been doing long-distance fell running up to 60 to 70 miles, but I have never done anything like the Grand Union Canal Race.

“It is the longest foot race in England and I thought if I run the longest race I have pretty much done everything.”

The race starts at 6am on May 23 and follows the length of Britain’s longest, single canal without any breaks.

Chris will be raising money for the Friends of Blue Coat and is allowed a buddy runner for part of the race, with family members taking it in turn to keep him company.

His wife, Anne, will also be among those keeping him supplied with food and drink.

Currently clocking up the miles in training — until recently he ran into work each day from Stockport— he added: “I can’t wait. I am looking forward to getting it done.

“I have been training for about six months and I will be glad when it starts, and even more glad when it is finished.

“It is pretty straight forward. The difficulty is when it goes dark and you are running with a head light on.”

And Chris already has his sights set on another challenge next year — the Ultra Tour De Mount Blanc, a 100-mile race which circumnavigates the mountain through France, Italy and Switzerland.

“The difficulty with the Great Union Canal Race is what do you do next?” he explained.