A CHESTER FC fan who took up running only a few weeks ago has raised hundreds of pounds for the club's Community Trust by running a speedy 10k at Chester Zoo.

Running novice Nathan Auty surprised himself by how quickly he got to grips with running, having entered the inaugural Run Chester Zoo 10k event on Sunday, October 31 only a few weeks beforehand, without any prior running or training.

Nevertheless, Nathan ran the race, which stayed dry after a torrential downpour hit one hour prior to the start, and completed the course, which began and ended in the zoo, in 46 minutes.

He raised almost £350 for the Community Trust in the process, which will help the trust continue its work using the power of sport and appeal of Chester FC to improve people’s lives.

Nathan said: “It was great fun and a great experience to do this 10k having only entered six weeks beforehand and without any prior running or training experience before.

“I ended up completely surprising myself, smashing it in 46 minutes, hitting a 5k PB and a 10k PB, finishing 166th out of almost 2,400 runners, and having raised around £350 for a fantastic cause which we can all get behind.

“The Community Trust does wonderful work harnessing the power of football to improve the health and well-being of all kinds of people young and old in Chester and the surrounding area.”

There is still time to make a donation to Nathan’s fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nathanauty.

If you are thinking about taking on a fundraising challenge and would like to support Chester FC Community Trust, email community@chesterfc.com.

The Run Chester Zoo 10k will return on February 6, 2022. Entry costs £36, with 25 per cent of the entry fee going to help Chester Zoo's conservation efforts. It includes a unique themed medal and free Chester Zoo entry for that day (RRP £24). For more information, visit https://www.runchesterzoo.com/product/run-chester-zoo-february-2022/