AN injured athlete who aimed to ease himself back into running with a charity fun run accidentally signed up for a competitive 10k race.

Scaffolder Ken Curley, aged 27, of Goldrill Avenue, Breightmet, snapped his anterior cruciate ligament while playing football at Leverhulme Park seven years ago.

After getting back to full fitness, Mr Curley went online to sign up for the Bupa Great Manchester Run.

But when he stumbled across the Bolton 10k, he assumed this was also a non-competitive race — before hearing from a friend that it was an event for serious runners.

However, this has not stopped father-of-one Mr Curley, who has now started training for the Bolton 10k.

Mr Curley, whose friend’s son has cerebral palsy, hopes to raise £1,000 for the UK disability charity Scope by completing the run.

He said: ‘’I went online to register but ended up visiting the wrong site. The 10k Bolton run was listed above it and I stupidly assumed it would be a similar sort of charity race. The first time I told my friends I had signed up to the wrong race they all just laughed at me. They thought it was incredibly stupid of me.

“They thought it was funny that I‘d I had signed up to any race at all. The idea of me doing much walking at all is laughable to them. Now, I just have to train hard and make an impact. I’m not preparing to make a fool of myself.

“I have a daughter, aged four who is healthy, but not all families are lucky enough to have that, so I’m doing this run for them.”