'˜One in a million' friend inspires 100 days of 10ks challenge

It started with a spur of the moment thought to remember a 'one in a million' friend - just how long would it take to run a million metres?
Scott Cranmer is cheered by colleagues as he completes running one million metres in  memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott MerryleesScott Cranmer is cheered by colleagues as he completes running one million metres in  memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott Merrylees
Scott Cranmer is cheered by colleagues as he completes running one million metres in memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott Merrylees

One hundred days, 100 10K runs, and £10,000 raised for charity later, Scott Cranmer can finally take a rest.

He was inspired to start running to mark the first anniversary of the death of his childhood friend Chris Chapman, who died in June 2016 from osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer he was first diagnosed with at age 15.

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Mr Cranmer had been taking part in a warm up event for an Iron Man challenge he was competing in to raise money for the Leeds-based Bone Cancer Research Trust when he was told of his friend’s death last year. He decided to continue supporting the charity in his memory.

Scott Cranmer, front right with supporters, completes running one million metres in  memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott MerryleesScott Cranmer, front right with supporters, completes running one million metres in  memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott Merrylees
Scott Cranmer, front right with supporters, completes running one million metres in memory of his late friend Chris Chapman. Picture Scott Merrylees

Mr Chapman, who was from Outwood in Wakefield, had his left leg amputated due to a tumour, and played wheelchair basketball for Wakefield Whirlwinds and for Great Britain, competing in a European championship in 2012.

Mr Cranmer, 31, who is also from Outwood, said: “Everyone bands about phrases like ‘one in a million’, but he was - so I decided to work out what a million metres would be. For some people the 12 months anniversary is a sad time and I wanted to turn it into something positive.”

He completed his final consecutive 10k by running into his work at Banana Kick in Leeds on Monday. Throughout his challenge he hasn’t missed a single run, with the most gruelling on stag do in Spain.

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“It was a spur of the moment thing, I started running the day of the anniversary in June and there hadn’t been any training,” he said. “My average time was about 50 minutes but the slowest was about an hour and a half - that was during a four day stag do in Spain with 17 rugby lads. It was pretty horrific!

“But Chris was a great inspiration. Nothing was too much for him, and even when he was really ill, he just to make sure everyone around him was happy.”