THE first Examiner Fun Run was in 1983, a frivolous sideshow to the 26-mile Pennine Marathon, a serious athletic event that attracted international attention.
Both runs started and finished at the Waterloo ground of Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club.
Naturally the shorter, five-mile run was more popular, and attracted those who preferred fancy dress, bed-pushing and a bit of ‘serious’ fundraising for charity.
That charity, in 1983, was the Huddersfield-based National Children’s Centre.
Somebody spotted that five miles was near as made no difference 40 furlongs, and thus the run was initially known as the Forty Furlong Fun Run.
Throughout its history – the last on was in 1995 – the runners trotted out into Wakefield Road and on towards Huddersfield.
At the Somerset Road junction they turned up the hill into Almondbury, then down Fenay Lane on to Penistone Road, and from there back to Waterloo.
For those who didn’t want to run 26 or five miles, or who were supporting the runners, there was a fete in the Waterloo grounds that drew crowds on its own account.
On that first Fun Run day, first home was Kevin Lenihan, second Robert O’Hara, and third Alan Denholm.
The first race attracted 1,000 runners, the second 1,300. But by its 13th year, 639 runners shared about £10,000 in sponsorship between 30 local groups and organisations.
The event continues in the form of the Examiner Charity Challenge which includes both fund-raising walks and cycle rides. This year’s event is on May 26.
Click here for more details of this year's event.
For more images from the Examiner archive as well as news stories, Huddersfield Town stories and features from Huddersfield's past click here to be taken to our nostalgia section.
