Adam's third Great North Run to fundraise for Meningitis Now
A Gloucestershire electrician has come up with the bright idea of taking on the Great North Run half marathon to fight meningitis
Thirty-six-year-old Adam Eldridge, from Wotton-under-Edge, will be taking part in his third Great North Run – one of the world’s largest half marathons – on Sunday 8 September for us following his own experience with the disease as a teenager.
“I had meningitis when I was 18,” Adam said. “I just started feeling very strange at work one day and wanted to go home. I then slept straight for hours, which wasn’t like me."
“Fortunately for me my parents knew something wasn’t quite right and took me to be seen – I was misdiagnosed a couple of times before it was picked up but luckily I had a less aggressive strain and I made a full recovery after spending two weeks in hospital."
Help those less fortunate
“My nephew Brad also had it when he was just a few months old. Again, luckily, it was caught early and he made a full recovery. But I know others aren’t so lucky and the money I raise will go towards helping those less fortunate.”
The keen footballer will be running with his two older brothers, Stuart and Paul, and a good friend, Nick Bishop, who is running in memory of another close friend, Michael Rodman.
This will be Adam’s third Great North Run and 14th half marathon overall since running his first Great North Run in 2017.
What I’d got myself into
“It’s actually quite a random story as to how I got into running seriously,” Adam said. “I came across a post on Facebook via Prostate Cancer offering places in the Great North Run. Having seen it on television many times growing up over the years on a Sunday morning, and knowing I’d be raising money, I signed up there and then."
“The problem was I may have been out that night and had a few to drink and had only ever run four or five miles in one go at the most!"
“It soon dawned on me the next morning what I’d got myself into. I got into some decent training though and haven’t looked back since.”
To support Adam’s efforts visit his funding page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AdamEldridge.
Following a spectacular course from the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast at South Shields, the Simplyhealth Great North Run is one of the biggest half marathons in the world. Around 57,000 runners take on the epic 13.1 miles each year, including world-class athletes such as Mo Farah.
Good luck Adam – we’ll be there to cheer you on.
Our team for this year’s Great North Run is full but we’ll be back next year. Register your interest on our Great North Run web page from Friday 6 September and we hope to see you there.
