On 10 September 2023 15 runners lined up with 60,000 others to take on the Great North Run. These special 15 were running on behalf of QE Charitable Funds and collectively raised over £5890.
The 42nd Great North Run was a special day for many reasons. Records were broken, Sir Mo Farah completed his last ever Great North Run and our runners completed run, despite the unbelievable weather making for difficult conditions. Our runners were slow-cooked in the baking sun whilst completing the 13.1 mile route, before being flooded away back to their homes by torrential downpours.
However, it was all done for an amazing cause with the money raised going to the Chemo Day Unit, Special Care Baby Unit, Cancer Services and many more. Each runner chose the fund they would be supporting before the race and each had amazing reasons deciding where their donations would go.
Peter Brock, Consultant Geriatrician, said, “I ran to raise money for the Older Person’s Fund at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead. As a Consultant Geriatrician there for the last three years, I have seen the great work the hospital does for older people but we can always do more to improve their experience. Hopefully, this will go a little way to helping with that.”
Gee and Simon, said, “We ran the Great North in support of St Bede’s Palliative Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, in memory of my sister Sarah Garrett who passed away in the unit in July 2022. Despite us all going through the worst experience imaginable, the staff at St Bede’s looked after Sarah and the entire family with such care, compassion and professionalism that I felt I had to do something in return.”
To read about our other runner’s incredible stories about why they ran the Great North Run for QE Charitable Funds, visit their Just Giving pages on our Great North Run news post. If you’ve been inspired to take on the run next year, email [email protected] to secure your place for the Great North Run 2024.
