A man is taking on the challenge of completing a 10km run every day in April to raise money for a Stretford-based animal charity.

Kieran McIntyre, from Whalley Range, started running during the pandemic and wanted to find a way to put his new hobby to good use.

Though accustomed to completing a 10k, the warehouse manager says that facing one every single day is a totally different challenge.

At six days in, Kieran said: “It kind of feels like when I first started now, it’s getting difficult on my legs.”

Juggling work, a social life and now daily runs, Kieran has been running in place of using transport to get himself around.

He said: “It’s been quite fun planning it and organising it, and I’ve got a big backpack with all my gear in as well while I’m running.”

The charity, Society for Abandoned Animals (SAA), care for and re-home unwanted cats and rabbits.

SAA was first set up in 1966 to deal with animals displaced following the demolition of houses in Hulme.

Since then, the charity has rehomed countless animals, having helped 1,058 cats and 341 rabbits find their forever home just in the last five years.

Having been weighing the idea up for a while, it was a chance encounter with SAA workers at an Altrincham game that led Kieran to choose them as his nominated charity.

He said: “I got talking to them and they were so lovely, and I thought, do you know what, I’m going to get back into it.”

As an extra incentive to complete the challenge, Kieran has levied a heavy forfeit on himself, charging £100 of his own money any time he misses one of his daily 10km runs.

“The reason I put that there is just to keep me going, I can’t afford to pay it to be honest, I worked it out, if I fail every single day that’s £3,000,” he said.

Each run that Kieran completes is being tracked via the Strava app, which has been linked up to his JustGiving page for donors to see.

To donate, visit Kieran’s JustGiving page here.