Oldham duo set to complete incredible year-long fund-raising challenge

A pair of endurance runners from Oldham are set for their final run in an epic challenge to run 10km a day for the whole year.

Afruz Miah BEM and Monwar Hussain will make their final run of the year on December 31 at Alexandra Park at 12pm.

Afruz - ‘The Running Man’ - is renowned for running from Oldham to London during Ramadan while fasting and Monwar is a prolific marathon runner.

Their year-long challenge is called Miles4Humanity.

In total they have run 3,620km.

Afruz said: “The challenge was initially only for Monwar as I was looking for someone to recruit.

"Monwar is younger, fitter and more capable than me.

"I ended up joining him everyday for the past year.

“The cause was the main factor for me personally - the challenges and difficulties people are facing on a daily basis in Gaza including parents pulling out limbs of children and loved ones from the rubble. 

“The desperate condition of people in Gaza and war hit areas around the world motivates me."

The 51-year-old added: "When my running partner Monwar kept coming back even after completing marathons I thought I need to push harder and break through the mental barrier.

“It feels surreal and hard to comprehend but at the same time I feel proud and humbled to be able to hopefully motivate and inspire the next generation.”

The duo were told this challenge would be impossible by professionals and sports and medical experts. 

Afruz said it was only possible with the “blessing of God” and the prayers of people everywhere.

So far they have raised £120,000.

They are planning an evening with Miles4humanity on February 1 and hope to raise in excess of £150,000.

This unprecedented one-year campaign is a first - maybe it’s a Guinness record for someone aged over 50.

Afruz has raised over a staggering £2.8m for charity over the last few years through running.

“The support from my family has been unconditional and the support we received behind the scenes helped a lot. Hopefully it’s a legacy for many generations to come,” Afruz said.

“If I’m honest I don’t think I could have done it on my own.

"I’d say it is impossible to do so.

"You need someone to push you and motivate you when you’re not feeling up for it.”

Forty-year-old ‘Marathon Man Monwar’ added: “Running 10km every single day for a whole year has been one of the hardest things I've ever done.

"But I'm pushing through the pain and fatigue because the people of Gaza need our help. 

“This crisis has been going on far too long, and I want to do my part to raise awareness and make a difference.

“This isn't just about me logging the miles.

"It's about saving lives, people have been suffering for far too long."

"Palestinians are humans who just want to live a normal life,” he said.

“Every stride I have taken has served as a reminder for me on a daily basis of their resilience and a call for the world to pay attention to their plight.

“I suffered with self-doubt but I knew expressing it would have a negative impact on Afruz too.

"By focusing on the cause, and renewing my intentions I was able overcome this doubt.

“It has taken a lot of people to sacrifice time and effort behind the scenes to make these runs consistent,” Monwar said.

Monwar is open to taking on more challenges in the future.

He has run the Manchester Marathon and hopes to complete the London Marathon next and maybe an international one soon. 

But right now, his focus is on completing this challenge and making the biggest possible impact for the people of Gaza.

He believes in the power of using physical challenges to drive positive change.

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