RELAY runners are planning to ‘race the sun’ by running from Bridlington to Morecambe during daylight hours to raise funds for a York housing charity.

Chase the Sun takes place for the second year running later this month - just after the longest day of the year -after raising £20,000 for housing charity Restore in its debut last year.

Organiser Jonny Wooldridge said people scoffed when he first came up with the idea of staging the run to mark the longest day of the year.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” he said.

“130 miles from coast to coast during daylight hours? You must be joking.”

He said he pressed on, convinced his idea would work, and managed to assemble a team of runners who crossed the country from Bridlington to Morecambe in daylight, and so this year he had decided to do it again - ‘only bigger and better.’

He said he was assembling two teams to form a relay and to Chase the Sun as it rises and sets from east to west on June 24.

“So there’s room for twice as many runners this year,” he said.

“Each runner has a target to raise £500 from sponsors, friends and supporters to bring in a grand total of £20,000 to help Restore house homeless people in York.”

He said runners of all ages and ability signed up to prove him right last year, and many of them had signed up again for this year’s relay.

“Runners choose their own distance from 1km up to as much as 12 miles,” he said.

“On the day they take their place along the route through Malton, Easingwold, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge, Grassington, Settle and eventually crossing the Lancashire border and following the Lune Valley through Lancaster to the coast.

“The first runners leave Bridlington just before 4.30am and the last ones have to run onto the beach before sunset at about 9.50pm.

“There are still a few places left if anyone want to take part, and anyone can sponsor a runner on the fundraising page: www.charitychoice.co.uk/fundraiser/restorestaff.”

Restore (York) Ltd is a Christian charity which works in partnership with Green Pastures Housing and other local landlords to lease and manage properties.

It also provides support for its tenants, so that having found a home they are also equipped to sustain their tenancy.

The charity currently has eight houses providing homes and support for up to 31 tenants.