RUNNERS have the chance to stretch their legs and support a good cause in a special night run at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.

The National Trust site is hosting a night run on October 16 as part of its fundraising to replace the ‘Dying Gladiator’ statue which mysteriously disappeared from the water garden many decades ago.

Around £80,000 is needed to recast a new statue which is a Roman copy of an ancient Greek statue.

It is one of the most celebrated icons to have survived from antiquity and appears in world famous gardens across the world, reproduced by a variety of sculptors and artists across several centuries.

The team at Fountains Abbey want to bring the Dying Gladiator back to the gardens as part of their work to restore the World Heritage Site to its 18th century heyday.

The night-time run is just one of a series of events organised to raise the cash needed.

General manager Justin Scully said: “This is a great chance to see the estate after dark and make your evening run something special.

“This is the second night run we’ve hosted; the last one was a really popular event.

“We light the abbey and garden for Fountains by Floodlighting, which is happening on select weekends in October and November, and this is a great chance to get active and help us raise money.

“We’ve raised over half the money we need to restore the Dying Gladiator statue and hope the night run will help us get a little bit closer. “Seeing the abbey glowing is always a spectacular sight - the paths around the water garden will be lit, but don’t forget your head torch.”

The run covers 5k and costs £14 for adults and £7 for children. Book at nationaltrust.org.uk