Warriors stalwart tackling marathon in aid of charity close to his family’s hearts

 

 

 

Ian Bentley, head of performance at Wigan Warriors, is tackling the Lake District Marathon on Saturday in aid of a charity very close to his heart.

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Bentley, who has been on the Warriors’ backroom staff for well over a decade, will attempt just his second marathon this weekend at the age of 40, with the aim of raising funds for Baby Beat, a charity that helps fund vital equipment, research and support services for premature and poorly babies at Royal Preston Hospital.

 

Bentley and his partner welcomed baby daughter Edith into the world on January 17th, 2025, but the pregnancy wasn’t without its hardships, as the Warriors’ head of performance bravely opens up on the difficult months leading up to Edith’s birth.

 

 

 

Explaining the story behind his ‘why’ this weekend, Bentley told Wigan Today: “It was when my missus was pregnant with our daughter Edith. The pregnancy was going fine, and then at week 26, my missus started getting high blood pressure, and it was caused by a condition called preeclampsia, which is really common for pregnant women, but to get it so early was not as common; it was quite unusual.

 

“She had regularly check-ins for the next six weeks and then we were constantly back and forth from Preston Hospital, having a lot of different scans every few days to check on her, and then she came at week 33, but she hadn’t been really growing, she was 2.2lbs, and she needed support.

 

“My missus had a C-section, and then she was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Preston Hospital for seven weeks, and the care that they gave her was amazing.

 

“She had one-to-one support and all the way through to when she left, she was heavier and healthier, but she wouldn’t have been if she hadn’t been given the support that they gave her, so they were amazing.

 

 

“Edith is doing really well now, she’s 16 months old. She was born on January 17th, so she’s 16 months old now, doing really well, and is a thriving and healthy little girl.”

 

Bentley has only ever run one marathon previously, in the peak of his powers in his mid-twenties, but he is willing to run through the pain barrier for those who helped his family so much at a time when they needed them the most.

 

“I did a marathon about 15 years ago, but I’ve not done anything like this for a long, long time,” Bentley said.

 

“I’ve only ever done one, so this year, I said I was going to do it. When my daughter Edith was ill in the hospital, I said I wanted to do something to raise money for her, and with it being my 40th this year, I thought it would be a good challenge at 40.”

 

 

 

“My missus and Edith will definitely be there at the finish line, it’s just whether I get there,” Bentley laughed.

 

To make a donation to Bentley’s fundraiser for Baby Beat, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/ian-bentley?utm_source=IG&utm_campaign=015&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKuPd5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp5UaJf_BnSI41pquMCLxj0Y0JViS_LRfLJD8PKyhILWHUhi5nhZxUfq-PDaC_aem_9JGf6ZPDguhh0VXbfmV3wg.

 

 

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