The Long Run

Some of the team who took part in the “Try” to the final event, when they swam, ran, rowed, and cycled their way from London to Paris in October 2023 are coming together again in May 2024 to run from Gloucester RFC to Northampton RFC in time for the Gallagher Premiership match at the Cinch Franklin Gardens stadium on Saturday 11th May.

The team will be running 3 marathons back- to-back (one each per charity), or 78.6 miles.
The event is in support of Sottish rugby legends Doddie Weir OBE, Tom Smith, and Gloucester legend Ed Slater to raise awareness and funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, 40Tude, curing Colon Cancer and 4Ed.

Doddie, who earned 61 caps for Scotland and also represented the British and Irish Lions in 1997, faced his biggest challenge as he battled MND, a condition that affects the brain and nerves.
He set up the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in 2017 after announcing that he had been diagnosed with MND, to help raise awareness and funds to find a cure for this devastating disease.
Sadly, Doddie passed away 26th November 2022 aged 52.
 
Tom also earned 61 caps for Scotland and toured with the 1997 & 2001 British & Irish Lions playing in all 6 tests. Tom was regarded as one of the best looseheads in modern rugby. Tom’s final match in the blue jersey came, appropriately enough, against England in 2005.

Tom played 174 matches for Northampton Saints making his debut 1 September 2001. Over the subsequent eight seasons his appetite for the action never diminished and neither did his popularity with the Saints' fans. His time at Franklin's Gardens included two Powergen Cup finals, a Heineken Cup semi-final and three Heineken Cup quarter finals. He remained at Northampton until his retirement from playing in 2009.

Tom was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2019, with tumours in his colon, brain and liver and sadly passed away in April 2022 aged 50.
 
Ed played over 130 times for Leicester Tigers from 2010 until 2017 then joined rivals Gloucester in 2017 in a swap deal with Jonny May, playing 90 times for the cherry & whites. Ed retired from rugby when he was diagnosed with MND in July 2022 and subsequently set up the 4Ed foundation.

The team will be leaving from the Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester mid morning on Friday 10th May, taking in the sights and hills of the Midlands countryside. They will be running non-stop through various villages and towns until they reach Franklins Gardens in time for kick-off when Northampton host Gloucester Saturday 11th May in one of the penultamite games of the Gallagher Premiership.

The team will be carrying the match ball arriving before Kick-off and will be joined along the way by other sporting legends. Anyone wishing to join for a few miles or the whole distance can do so. For more information, please contact Stuart Thom:

 ceo@royalbelfast.com | 07913 611 680.