ultra treadmill

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.

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

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. 

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.