A Nottinghamshire dad-of-four is aiming to run 180km while fasting during Ramadan to raise money for school children in deprived areas of the world. Shahid Akhtar, 51 and from Rainworth, will start his impressive challenge on Sunday, March 10, the first day of the Islamic holiday. The pharmacist plans to run 6km a day to reach his goal and is hoping to raise £3,000 before the end of the Ramadan month on April 9. The money raised will be donated to Charity Right and will go towards providing free school meals for children in some of the most deprived locations, such as Bangladesh, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. Get the latest What’s On news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp Shahid, who completed a similar challenge last year and ran 150km, said: “It was really tough but you realise the amazing things your body can do. You run on empty because you have no fuel but it’s doable. “I wanted to do something this Ramadan to help make a small difference to those who do not have the luxury of regular food on their tables. For the majority of us, we do not have to worry where our next meal is coming from or how we will be able to feed our families. It’s something that we take for granted, unfortunately.” Shahid, who is a regular runner, has been training for the challenge by running on an empty stomach in the morning. He said: “I think you just have to get your head right and just keep going. “I know because I’m doing it for a positive thing I’ll keep going. I think that’ll be the thing that probably pushes me on to complete the challenge. “I encourage everyone to support and share the fundraiser as much as they can.” You can donate to Shahid’s fundraiser at the following link: https://www.charityright.org.uk/cr-star-campaign/7217/shahids-the-ramadan-challenge-2024?page=preview.
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