Protestors put their best feet forward in a bid to save Huddersfield Royal Infirmary’s A&E department.

Runners and walkers young and old took up the half-marathon challenge on Saturday and raised thousands of pounds in the process.

The route from Calderdale Royal Hospital to Holmfirth aimed to highlight the 13.7-mile distance between the hospital and outlying districts.

Read more:

Read more:

Five runners – led by double heart attack survivor Sean Doyle – and around 40 walkers basked in the sunshine as they pounded the streets from Halifax to Holmfirth.

They received a warm reception at the finish outside Holmfirth Picturedrome where the town’s Festival of Folk was in full swing.

One of the walkers, Karl Deitch, founder of the #HandsOffHRI campaign, said: “It was a really nice event and everyone was in high spirits.

Some of the walkers taking part in the #HandsOffHRI campaign half-marathon walk from Calderdale Royal Hospital to Holmfirth. The walkers take a breather at Honley. Pic by: Sandie Nicholson.

“People were coming and joining in at different stages so it was like a little train.

“We had people aged from their mid-20s up to their late 60s taking part. There was a brilliant atmosphere and we were like a big family.”

Health chiefs are currently consulting on plans to shut the A&E department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and move emergency care to Calderdale.

Read more:

Read more:

The weekend’s challenge is expected to raise several thousand pounds, which campaigners will put towards hiring a lawyer to fight their case.

It is one of several fundraisers being planned, with upcoming events including a black tie auction in June and a potential huge event in Greenhead Park this summer.

Karl added: “These events show how people are playing a massive part in this campaign.

Sean Doyle and fellow Hands Off HRI campaigners Richard Malkin, Lee Wilson and Damian McQueen set off on their half marathon run from Calderdale Royal Hospital to Holmfirth.

“The half-marathon really brought home the distance people would have to travel and it’s ridiculous.

“They (hospital chiefs) need to go back and realise they’ve made a mistake because we will not give in.”

Sean, 48, of Brockholes, suffered a double heart attack as he took part in Huddersfield Parkrun at Greenhead Park on May 11, 2013.

He says his life was saved because of how close he was to HRI.