ON A SUNNY afternoon in Newport, Nathan Richardson jogged onto the pitch at Rodney Parade, chalking off number 26 on his list of football league grounds.
Former soldier Mr Richardson is running 2,500 miles for charity, visiting all 92 grounds and stadiums in the Premier League and English Football League.
With nothing more than a small backpack, the route being followed by the 29-year-old from Manchester's takes him through South Wales as well as to every corner of England in what is expected to be a six-month challenge.
The football fan is running to raise money for mental health charity Mind, as well as the The Super Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity, which supports children in his home region.
If you would like to support Mr Richardson's charity run, visit www.nathrich.com
After a lap of Rodney Parade's pitch, he stopped at the dugout to speak to the Argus.
"I had a tough time when we had the heatwave – I was in the Cotswolds and I had quite a few hills there," the former soldier said. "That was a really tough week."
MORE NEWS:
- Police inspector sacked for 'gross misconduct' after hearing
- ICU doctor explains how Gwent's new hospital could deal with a second wave of Covid-19
- Hairdressers and most indoor tourist attractions will reopen on Monday
His 2,500-mile challenge has also been interrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak.
"I set off on the challenge on March 7 and did a couple of weeks, and then I had to stop because of the coronavirus," he said. "I started again at the end of May. Clubs have been a bit more cautious about letting me in, but we seem to be coming out the other end of [the outbreak] now, it's looking good."
Mr Richardson is carrying a bare minimum amount of supplies and is making food and accommodation arrangements as he travels.
The Manchester United and Rochdale fan began his journey outside Old Traffordand aims to finish by November at Rochdale AFC's Crown Oil Arena (Spotland Stadium).
His next stops are the Cardiff City Stadium and Swansea City's Liberty Stadium.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here