A BOURNEMOUTH man has completed a stage of his 1,500-mile running challenge in memory of his friend.

Chris Kirby has completed several fundraising activities in the past for the charity, but this year wanted to do something even more challenging as 2020 marks ten years since his best friend, Adam Pearmine, passed away suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

Chris' fundraising efforts are aimed towards raising awareness and money for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) following the passing of Adam.

The pair had been best friends since their teens and bonded over their love of golf and football.

Following a knee injury, Adam quickly became unusually unwell.

Tragically, the heart condition that he was unknowingly suffering from was not diagnosed and he suddenly passed away during the night as a result of cardiac arrest at the age of 26.

Adam’s parents set up a memorial fund in his name with CRY and since then, Chris has been fervently partaking in fundraising activities in memory of his friend.

Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, Chris had planned out 15 races to run over 2020 to meet his 1,500-mile target.

Unfortunately, these were all cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic.

However, this has not quelled Chris' passion and determination - he is averaging 29 miles per week (four miles per day) and has also completed at least one marathon-length run every month since January.

Chris said: "CRY is such an important charity; there’s always a tendency to think ‘it won’t happen to me’, especially when you’re young, but the symptoms can be really hard to diagnose which is why it’s so vital for young people to be screened.

"I sadly lost my best friend to an undiagnosed heart condition and this running challenge helps me feel close to him again. It is always an emotional moment for me finishing a run and reflecting on the reasons why I’m pushing myself to do this."

So far, Chris has raised over £900 for Adam’s memorial fund with CRY.

Chief Executive of CRY, Dr Steven Cox said: "On behalf of everyone at CRY, I would like to thank Chris for taking part in this amazing 1,500-mile challenge in memory of Adam and for everything he continues to do to support CRY."

To donate to Chris' fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cry1500