Member Article

Fred puts his money where his mouth is!

Fred Done, owner of Betfred, the world’s largest independent bookmaker and gaming company has pledged his support for the Tour of Tameside, one of the biggest running challenges in British athletics which returns this year after the absence of more than a decade.

Fred is not only a keen runner, he is also Chairman of Sports Tours International, the largest sports travel company in the UK and now he’s challenging runners from far and wide to compete for a slice of his £4,500 prize fund over the weekend of Friday 19 – Sunday 21 June.

The original Tour of Tameside was founded in 1983 by marathon legend Ron Hill MBE, and attracted runners from across the globe.

Fred, who competed in the original event five times, commented: “The Tour of Tameside is one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced, it’s nearly as hard as being a bookmaker! I ran it five times and tried my best to keep up with some of the best runners from the UK and Europe and of course the legend Ron Hill. It’s a fantastic event, which supports local good causes, brings the public together to fundraise and get active.

“My challenge to runners out there from Tameside, Greater Manchester and beyond, is to be part of one of the biggest running events in the country, lets put Tameside on the map once again for a magnificent sporting event”

Runners who take on all three days will cover the distance of a full marathon, with each day covering different routes and types of terrain across a mixture of closed roads, trails and country routes.

Prizes up to £250 for each individual race for both men and women will be awarded and the overall winning male and female for the Tour of Tameside will each receive £500 plus a trophy.

Local organisations supporting the event include New Charter Homes, Active Tameside, Tameside 4 Good and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sports Tours International .