Sheffield's 'chicken man' has been raising money for the Children's Hospital charity for 10 years

For 10 years, a Sheffield man has been raising money for Sheffield Children’s Hospital by running dressed as a chicken.
Fabian Cruz has spent 10 years running for The Children's Hospital CharityFabian Cruz has spent 10 years running for The Children's Hospital Charity
Fabian Cruz has spent 10 years running for The Children's Hospital Charity

Fabian Cruz - or ‘chicken man’ as he is also known - has conquered several half marathons and countless 10k races around the region.

But it is his feathery outfit that makes him one of the most recognisable faces on race days.

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The 54-year-old, who works as a chef in Sheffield, started running in the costume to show solidarity with his homeland Chile in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and tsunami.

He said: “I had decided to run for The Children’s Hospital Charity, but I wanted to show my support for Chile too as I was born there.

“I tried to think of a superhero from my childhood, but all I could remember was a chicken advert, so chicken man, or ‘superpollo’ was born.”

Combining a chicken suit with a bandana and the Chilean flag as a cape, Fabian admits he was unsure about the outfit first time around.

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He said: “I wasn’t convinced but the support I had was great. It is very hot and quite difficult to run in, but the reaction is worth it.’”

For Fabian, supporting Sheffield Children’s Hospital is also a deeply personal cause.

He said: “I made a promise to keep running for as long as I can in memory of my son and daughter who sadly passed away in 1986 and 1987. I saw first-hand what the staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital do to try to save a life and the equipment that it takes.”

For the past four years, Fabian has run alongside 25-year-old Stuart Bastidas.

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Stuart is the son of one of his friends from Chile and moved to Sheffield to study. He has continued the chicken theme, dubbing himself super ‘pollito’, or little chick.

Stuart said: “I couldn’t be prouder of him. His drive to raise money for a cause that means so much to him really shows and he’s become a legend in the local Latin American community here.

“I’ve also seen the impact Sheffield Children’s has on the local community, so I could not be happier to fundraise for a great cause.”

If you would like to run for The Children’s Hospital Charity at this year’s Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday, March 29, there are still some limited charity places available.