No Finish Line 2023

Motor Neurone Disease and Alzheimer’s are devastating diseases that have affected people we love. My mam, Pauline, passed away from MND in October 2006, only 10 months after being diagnosed; Mike’s dad, Lance, lived with Alzheimer’s for almost 10 years before he passed away in 2019.

MND is a neurodegenerative disease which attacks the nerves and leads to the wasting of the muscles, leaving those affected unable to walk, talk, eat and ultimately breathe. It usually progresses rapidly, and currently there is no effective treatment or cure. A third of people with MND die within a year, and over half within two years of diagnosis.

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and is known as the Long Goodbye. It robs people of their memory and cognitive skills, and eventually they find it increasingly difficult to carry out basic care for themselves and become physically weaker until they are unable to eat or drink. Like MND, Alzheimer’s is irreversible and there is no known cure.

The charities we support help fund leading research into MND and Alzheimer’s, and lately there has been promising progress in both, leading to a hope that we could be on the cusp of breakthroughs and treatments for these cruel diseases. We have seen first-hand how devastating they can be for the sufferers and their families and friends, so have long been fighting to make a difference, for a future world free from MND and Alzheimer’s.

Since 2006, we have been fundraising mainly through running challenges, and in recent years have added cycling into the mix. The challenges have become bigger, more demanding – and this year is no different …

May 14th – Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (Christine) / Half Marathon (Mike). After Mike’s surgery in March, he’s had a tough job getting back up to some sort of fitness for this one, but as the runs will be full of friends and Leeds will be full of MND supporters, it will give us both the boost we need to get to the finish line.

July 30th – The Snowman Duathlon (Mike). Billed as the toughest duathlon in the UK, this is a multi-terrain 2.6-mile run, 43-mile cycle, then a 5.2-mile run around Snowdonia.

September 30th to October 1st – Hootiful 100-mile run (Christine). Gulp. 5 x 9-mile loops that take runners up the White Cliffs of Dover (yep, from the bottom to the top …), then the rest consists of zillions of smaller, 3+ mile loops along the seafront. 36 hours to get over the finish line. A very daunting prospect!

Alongside these will be a few other events (including the ever-present Great North Run) – yet to be planned and booked.

We know that times are difficult at the moment for so many, but if you can spare anything, we would be hugely grateful. Every penny will help towards ridding the world of MND and Alzheimer’s.