Marathon pals run to the Mersey beat

Chris Bibby, Paul Hanson and Stuart Walkden tackled the run which saw bands playing at every mile marker to embrace the city of Liverpool’s culture.The friends raised around £1,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation which supports children with serious illnesses.Postman Chris (29) said: “We all agreed to run in aid of Make-A-Wish UK. The charity aims to grant magical wishes to children and young people in a battle with life threatening illnesses in the UK.“Nobody deserves a dream day or magical wish more than these children.”The charity has gained prominence in recent months thanks to Bradley Lowery, the young Sunderland fan diagnosed with neuroblastoma, who touched the hearts of the sporting world.Famous sights associated with The Beatles and the city’s football clubs also helped to inspire the friends during their tough 26.2 miles.Chris added: “The race started near Albert Dock and a run of 26 miles passing such sights as the Royal Liver Building, Goodison Park and Anfield before heading through Stanley Park and then a trip down to the city centre passing through Matthew Street and onto Chinatown.“It also involved a trip down Penny Lane and of course Sefton Park before eventually hitting the waterfront for a finish at the Echo Arena.“The atmosphere was literally electric with the bands playing every mile. The people of Liverpool were extremely supportive and made a fantastic crowd which helped us massively throughout.”Chris’ second marathon saw him finish in three hours 23 minutes, while Stuart (29) and Paul (29) making their marathon debuts, finished in three hours, 59 minutes and four hours 19 minutes respectively.To further support their fund-raising efforts visit http://www.justgiving.com/bibbycryerhansonwalkden.

For further information about Make A Wish visit https://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/