A SKIPTON estate agent has raised almost £2,000 for a children’s charity by completing his first ever marathon in New York.

Sam Shaw, a director at Harrison Boothman Estate Agency, crossed the Atlantic to compete in the iconic New York City Marathon on Sunday November 5, raising £1,750 for The Principle Trust Children’s Charity.

The money raised will fund much-needed respite breaks for families with children who are underprivileged, disadvantaged, disabled, have life-limiting conditions, or who have experienced poverty, trauma or abuse.

Despite battling COVID in the weeks leading up to the race, Mr Shaw completed the 26.2-mile-challenge in an impressive five hours and 18 minutes Attracting around 50,000 participants from more than 150 countries, the TCS New York City Marathon is the biggest marathon event in the world and traverses all five New York City boroughs.

From the start line on Staten Island, Sam’s route crossed the Verrazzano-Narrows suspension bridge into Brooklyn, heading north through Queens and The Bronx before reaching the finish line in Manhattan’s Central Park where his wife, Penny, and daughters Ashley and Alice were waiting to greet him.

Sam, who is 41 and lives in Skipton, spent six months training for the event by completing half-marathon stretches of the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath between Gargrave and Bradley. He also received training support from Craven Energy Triathlon Club, of which he is a member.

Speaking after the event Sam said: “Running in the New York City Marathon was one of the toughest challenges of my life but I’m delighted to have achieved this personal ambition whist raising money for such a great cause; every year the trust helps hundreds of disadvantaged, disabled and poorly children to escape their everyday troubles and create valuable, happy memories.”

Launched in 2011, The Principle Trust Children’s Charity was established by businessman Mike Davies, MBE. Since then it has raised more than £1million, developed a portfolio of holiday homes, including at Blackpool and at Lake Windermere, and provided respite breaks for almost 5,000 children across the Yorkshire region.

In 2023 the charity launched ‘Food for Families’, a £23,000 per annum initiative to help tackle food poverty by providing an entire week’s supply of food and daily essentials to families taking a respite break provided by The Trust.

Donations can still be made online at https://localgiving.org/fundraising/sam-shaw-runs-new-york-marathon/ On December 10, the panto Jack and The Beanstalk at Settle Victoria Hall, is being run in collaboration with the charity.

To find out more about the trust, go to: https://www.theprincipletrust.co.uk/