Treadmill 50K - supporting the NHS & the oddballs FOUNDATION
50K Treadmill Ultra - April 2023
Date:
Saturday 1st April 2023
Location:
Green Lanes Shopping Centre, Barnstaple, North Devon
Time:
starting at 09:30
Supporting: NHS Over and Above, North Devon
Supporting: The Oddballs Foundation
Yes you read that right! I am running a 50K (31.07 miles) on a treadmill in the middle of a busy shopping centre.
Why am I doing it? Now there's a great question, perhaps I should ask myself that one. Treadmill running is tough and this kind of distance will be incredibly tough. having recovered from cancer in 2021 I am taking on these tough challenges and using my legs to benefit others.
Read more below about the organisations I have chosen to support this time and how YOU can get involved too.
NHS - Over and Above - The Fern Centre
A wonderful resource for cancer patients and their families
The Fern Centre is a specially designed building to help bridge the gap in care supporting patients’ holistic needs to promote wellbeing during their cancer journey. The Centre is a wonderful resource for patients, their families and carers to access information, complementary therapies, counselling, and other support, face to face and close to home. The Centre also has three accommodation rooms available for relatives of patients staying at North Devon Hospital so they can be near their loved ones.
The Fern Centre is made possible and 100% funded by the Over and Above fund and generous public donations.
We'll be supporting Andy on the day of his run and you'll be able to meet some of our team at Green Lanes shopping centre.
The Oddballs Foundation
The OddBalls Foundation
Let’s talk testicular cancer!
Established in 2015, The OddBalls Foundation is the UK's leading charity raising awareness of testicular cancer.
The charity educates people on the basics of testicular cancer and encourages regular self checking to promote early diagnosis; ultimately, saving lives!
The OddBalls Foundation’s main initiative to raise awareness of Testicular Cancer is through our University Ambassador Programme. We have 50 University Ambassadors across UK & Ireland, all from different ethnic backgrounds, with different genders and sexual orientations. Cancer does not discriminate, so being able to represent everybody is extremely important to us. Our University Ambassadors are committed to delivering Testicular Cancer Awareness talks in schools, colleges and the workplace all over the UK & Ireland, as well as distributing our Check Yourself guides and hosting awareness / fundraising events.
Testicular Cancer is unusual compared with other cancers because it tends to affect younger men; in fact, it is the most common type of cancer to affect men between the ages of 15 – 49. Having university students as our ambassadors is a powerful, relatable and memorable way of evoking the conversation and encouraging young men to check themselves.
We will be supporting Andy on the day, you'll be able to meet some of our University Ambassadors at Green Lanes shopping centre - and in the week before we'll be delivering our presentation at local schools and colleges to help tackle the stigma.
For further information, head over to www.theoddballsfoundation.com or follow us on social media @oddballsfdn.
Thank you
for all the support, donations and messages.
Tony, Cara, Mum & Dad, Ryan, Melissa, Dan, Chris, Liz, Kay, Adrian, Matt, Jonathan, Samantha, Michelle, Ben Alan, Margaret, Michael & Kelly, Rosemary, Sarah, Michell, Pete & Wendy and dozens of Green Lanes shopping centre shoppers.
Part of my 50 for fifty
A decade of adventures
If you've been wandering around the site you may have already stumbled across my 50 for Fifty and so its little surprise to you that I am 50 this year.
To celebrate this next decade of my life I've launched the 50 for Fifty programme where I will look to accomplish 50 amazing things in my running shoes - many suggested by you.
The list isn't yet complete and I except you, I and many others will put forward suggestions to add to it over the next few years. There are many already on the list so head over and take a look.
The Treadmill Ultra 50K is one of the 50 for Fifty.
special thanks to many amazing people
Made possible by...
There are so many parts of the puzzle that have to come together for this event to occur, I am incredibly grateful to the following people and companies for their support.
Platform Gym, Barnstaple - Treadmills
Steve, owner of Platform Gym has generously provided the two treadmills for use, and assisted with the logistics of moving them from the gym to the shopping centre.
Taw Tech - the heavy lifters
Thanks to the team at Taw Tech for helping to move the treadmills with their forklifts, we could not have done this without you.
Green Lanes Shopping Centre, Barnstaple - the venue
A huge thank you to the whole team at Green Lanes, especially Bryony who has made this possible. Organising an event such as this in the middle of a busy shopping centre takes many hours of work and I am grateful to the team at Green Lanes for all their support.
Blakewell Services, Barnstaple - the move it team
Thank you to Rob at Blakewell who has kindly agreed to move the treadmills to Green Lanes and back again - Rob you are a star.