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Teenagers run in memory of school stabbing victim

Grace Wood and Carla Fowler
BBC News, Yorkshire
Carla Fowler/BBC Five teenage boys and one man pose together with their arms around one another. They are wearing sports gear and medals.Carla Fowler/BBC
Simon Turner, Lucas, Billy, Judah, Brice and Josh completed the race in memory of Harvey Willgoose

A group of teenagers have run a half marathon in memory of a boy who was stabbed to death at school.

The five friends completed the Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday in memory of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose who was killed at the city's All Saints Catholic High School on 3 February.

Lucas, Billy, Brice, Judah and Josh, who all attend Wath Academy in Rotherham, raised more than £3,500 for Sheffield-based anti-knife crime charity Always an Alternative.

Lucas said: "For young people growing up being able to see the consequences of what could happen, and what will happen if this keeps going on, that's all we want -for people to realise the drastic impact knife crime can have."

Harvey's mother Caroline Willgoose said: "Harvey would be so proud of all his friends getting the message across.

"Things like this are uplifting and getting us through this horrific time. I'm so proud of them. The kids are just amazing."

Brice said thinking of Harvey helped motivate him around the tough course.

He said: "The adrenaline kept me going and the cause of it, the reason behind it.

"It was very hard with all the hills going up and down and on the mental side, but I got it done and that's all that matters."

Harvey's uncle Simon Turner also took part in the race.

Carla Fowler/BBC A woman with tied back blonde hair wears a blue running race and stands at the side of a road. She has a medal around her neck.Carla Fowler/BBC
Claire Frankland was the fastest woman with a time of 1 hour and 17 minutes

The boys were among more than 6,500 runners who took part in the 13.1-mile (21km) event, which was won by Tommy Power, of Hallamshire Harriers, in a time of 1:08:22.

He said: "When we got up to Ringinglow you could see maybe 50 metres ahead it was pretty foggy up there but it was quite nice and atmospheric. Then you come back down into Sheffield where you've got all the crowds, which was a nice way to finish."

The fastest woman was Claire Frankland with a time of 1:17:52.

She said: "I got quite emotional at the top of the big hill in Dore, but there's no bits where you go more than 10 metres without someone being there cheering you on. It's just brilliant."

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