A devoted couple from Barnoldswick will run 50 kilometres this weekend to honour their beloved son. Candyce Cross and Scott Cross are taking on the challenging North Yorkshire Ultra Challenge to remember Noah, whom they lost during a complicated birth. The inspiring event runs over two days, from June 20 to June 21, 2026.
The couple chose this specific weekend because it falls just a few days before what would have been Noah’s due date. The tragic loss in February 2023 also threatened Candyce’s life and left the family devastated, including Noah’s older brother Arlo.
After an incredibly difficult few years, Candyce decided it was time to focus again on running, which is something they both love. The couple will be fundraising for Friends of Serenity, a baby loss bereavement support charity. This wonderful charity offers vital support to families going through loss and erected a Tree of Life at Lancashire Women’s and Newborn Centre to remember all the babies gone too soon.
The upcoming event marks the first edition of the North Yorkshire Challenge, which features a mix of dramatic coastline and wild moorland. Such challenges continue to be a popular choice for fundraising across the UK, with recent events raising as much as £1.3 million for good causes.
Candyce said: “I foolishly signed Scott and myself up for a 50km ultra running challenge. The distance won’t be so much of a challenge for Scott, who has spent most of his adult life running silly distances, but he will be challenged to slow his pace right down to support me. We know the scenery will be beautiful and hopefully motivate us along the way, and June seemed a poignant time to do it as that is when our son should have been born. As painful as this challenge and the training will be, nothing will ever compare to the pain of losing a child.”
Anyone wishing to support the family can visit the official online fundraising page to make a donation.
