RUGBY LEAGUE legend Barrie McDermott and 15-year-old daughter Sophie crossed the finishing line in the Milltown to Moors Oldham 10k race holding hands.
The pair and Barrie’s brother-on-law Michael Unsworth, who also ran, were raising funds for Kingfisher School.
Barrie, (42), who lives in Grotton, explained: “I was an 18st prop forward so it was not a surprise that Sophie and Michael were in front of me.
“They waited for me and at the end Sophie grabbed my hand so we could cross the line together (in 1hr 1min 54sec) and it was a nice Father’s Day present and family day.”
Barrie, who is head of player welfare at Leeds Rhinos, last year ran the Virgin London Marathon and tries to do about a dozen 10k or half marathons each year plus one major challenge – this year he is off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in October for the Steve Prescott Foundation.
It is fair to say the McDermotts are a sporting family as daughters Sophie and Jessica are both netball players, son Billy is in the Academy at Leeds Rhinos and wife Jenny will soon be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to raise funds for Dr Kershaws.
Barrie, the former Oldham, Wigan, Leeds and Great Britain player, was not the only celebrity taking part in the Oldham 10k as the field also included 2015 Masterchef winner Simon Wood who is from Chadderton.
At the front of the field of 335 runners, Chadderton’s Bruno Lima won for the second successive year. The Salford Harriers athletic clocked a time of 34min 04sec.
Denshaw’s Jacob Regan, the former Great Britain professional cyclist, was runner up in 34min 16 sec while third was Rob James in 35min 37sec.
The first woman home was Kirsty Johnson, of Glossopdale Harriers, in 40min 07sec.
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