A SERIES of exercise-based charity events are on course to have raised more than £10,000 in memory of a teenager who was killed in a road accident nearly two years ago.

Ethan Ross died aged 17 following a crash on the A55 near St Asaph in September 2020, two days after the incident having been airlifted to a hospital in Stoke.

Following the success of a similar event in Ethan’s memory last year, his family encouraged people to “Move a Marathon” for him last weekend – whereby participants exercised 26.2 miles (the equivalent of a marathon) in whatever way they liked.

Denbighshire Free Press: Photo: Helen RossPhoto: Helen Ross

Friends and relatives of Ethan walked and ran from Great Orme to St Asaph, while his father, Paul, managed 20 miles of the run having been part of a team which cycled 300 miles in two days earlier last week.

Ethan’s mum, Helen, meanwhile, cycled 126 miles in three days last month.

A number of schools from Llangollen, Denbigh, St Asaph and Prestatyn also took part in “Wearing Blue for Ethan” and held fundraising days in their schools to remember Ethan, who attended Denbigh High School.

The money raised will be going to the Wales Air Ambulance and 2Wish, a charity helping those affected by the death of a young person.

An online fundraiser page has currently received more than £8,500, but hopes are high that, with further donations still to come in, the £10,000 target will easily be surpassed.

Helen said: “It was fantastic, and a really good turnout. We had a lovely weekend.

“All of the schools were busy in the week, and then we had the marathon on the Sunday.

Denbighshire Free Press: Photo: Helen RossPhoto: Helen Ross

“We had 13 runners, a couple of them had to pull out through injury, and Paul made it to 20 miles, but he’d already cycled 300 two days before! It was a really, really good day.

“I had cycled 126 miles over three days, but Paul, with six others, had cycled on Thursday down to Chepstow and back, which was 300 miles, on the hottest two days of the year.

“Callum, my son, ran, as well, but had to pull out through injury after 17 miles. Shaun Hughes was the first man home – he was our elite runner – he did it in three hours, one minute, after running the Rhyl half-marathon the day before!

“Our second runner home was Robin McGregor, and I’m so chuffed because he’d only just started running before last year’s marathon, and he came in under four hours, as well.

Denbighshire Free Press: Photo: Helen RossPhoto: Helen Ross

“One school, Ysgol Emmanuel, had a pupil who had raised over £100. Over the weekend, Ethan’s friends all walked from the Great Orme to St Asaph as well. There’s just so much that has happened!

“The schools wore blue and did their own challenges, Denbigh High did a cake sale, their teachers did a constant cycle throughout the day outside school, my grandson is in nursery and did a water challenge, as well.

“The total today (June 21) is over £8,000, but we have all of the schools’ money to come in, so we’re going to smash our £10,000 target.

“We chose to back the Wales Air Ambulance because they were the ones who airlifted Ethan to Stoke Hospital.

“Two ladies from 2Wish also came to the finish line on Sunday. 2Wish have given us so much support afterwards.”

You can still donate yourself by visiting: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/moveamarathonforethan22.