Student to run 100km around the Stray at night for charity

A student from Harrogate is aiming to run 100km – 62 miles – around Oatlands Stray to raise money for charity. 

Morgan Glazier, 21, will run for 12 hours through the night of Friday, June 30 to Saturday, July 1 – and will then cap it off by completing the 5km Harrogate Parkrun.  

Morgan, who left Rossett School in 2020, said: 

“I’ve been out practising a lot over the last couple of months, building up my mileage and getting used to the pace I’ll be keeping on the night. My route around Oatlands Stray is about a mile long, and I’m hoping to manage as many as 62 laps, but if it gets really tough, I may have to make do with 52, but that’s still a double marathon.” 

The run is part of Morgan’s longer-term fundraising plan. He has just finished the final year of his degree in economics at the University of Bristol and plans to mark the achievement by running the Budapest Marathon in October in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation.  

But to secure his place, he must raise 80% of his £1,000 fundraising target by the end of July, and he is hoping his epic Stray all-nighter will be a way of hitting his target fast. He will be supported through the night by friends and family, some of whom plan to keep him company for a few laps. 

This is not the first time Morgan has set himself an ambitious target to raise money for charity. In 2020, aged just 18, he ran 465 miles in 30 days, raising over £9,000 for mental health charity Mind.

Morgan said:  

“I’ve been running for years, but this 12-hour challenge is new territory for me – I’ve never run this far in one go before, but that’s part of the fun.” 

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. It can kill, and survivors can be left with long-term effects, such hearing loss, brain injury and limb loss. 

Students are the second-biggest group at risk of contracting meningitis, after babies and toddlers. 

The Meningitis Research Foundation funds work to find new ways of preventing meningitis and septicaemia, and to mitigate their effects. 

To support Morgan and help him on his way to his £1,000 fundraising target for the Meningitis Research Foundation, go to his JustGiving page and make a donation. 

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Looking back: Happiness in Harrogate district amid the challenges of 2020

As 2020 draws to a close, the Stray Ferret looks at the news stories that stood out among a year of extraordinary events. 

Today, we look back on some of the highlights of the year when, amid the bleak events, the spirit of the community and individual strength shone through. 

After facing a disrupted end to his school life and an uncertain path ahead, 18-year-old Morgan Glazier decided to set himself a challenge.  

Raising money for mental health charity Mind, he completed a mile to correspond with the date of every day in June. After one mile on the first, two miles on the second and so on, he finished 30 miles on June 30, totalling an incredible 465 miles in the month. 

As a result, he raised more than £9,000 for a charity close to his heart. 

Also raising money, but for a completely different reason, was former Harrogate Grammar School student Harry Pritchard. 

He had secured a place at the prestigious LAMDA drama school in London, but with fees of almost £14,000 feared he would be unable to take it up. Friends and family rallied around – but when Hollywood star Russell Crowe shared the campaign, the money rolled in. 

For football fans, meanwhile, the crowning achievement of the year was Harrogate Town securing promotion to the football league for the first time. They may not have been able to be there for the 3-1 win over Notts County at Wembley, but fans were able to enjoy the occasion when the team held an open top bus parade through town on their return. 

Photo: Matt Kirkham, Harrogate Town

The football season was able to conclude after a delay during the first lockdown – but many events were not able to proceed as planned. However, communities united to ensure the important dates did not go by unmarked. 

VE Day was a highlight for many, with socially-distanced street parties held across the district. From scarecrows telling a village’s war stories to Ripon Cathedral lit up in red, white and blue, there were plenty of celebrations despite continuing restrictions. 

A special delivery of fish and chips was sent to residents of a Starbeck care home by Drake’s Fisheries, while a war veteran was toasted by his neighbours, who were determined to make him the guest of honour at their celebrations. 

Jack Rushton

For the Stray Ferret, 2020 saw us launch our news site as the pandemic reached the UK in March. Our audience has grown enormously in the last 10 months, and we’re grateful to everyone who has got in touch, told us their story or shared their concerns.  

As the new year approaches, we’re as determined as ever to bring you the most important stories from across the Harrogate district, as well as those chinks of happiness in what can often seem a very gloomy world.  

Please do keep in touch with us about anything you think we should know – you can email our news team at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197. And keep following us for the latest news as it happens via our website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Instagram or LinkedIn. 

Thank you for your support in 2020. We wish all our readers a healthy and happy new year.